XXII: Star
by ActuallyMarina
Summary: Akihiko Sanada pursues a suspicious college student with connections to an emerging cult of The Lost, years after the defeat of Nyx. Minako Arisato's life becomes a little more complicated after a chance meeting with a clueless, but relentless rookie cop. Like it or not, they need each other if they're going to save the city. (Cross-post from AO3)
1. Chapter 1

**_If you wanna start a fight, you better throw the first punch._**

**_Make it a good one._**

Tatsumi Port Island had been quiet for a few years, which was more than one could reasonably hope for when it came to any major metropolitan area. Businessmen still liked to wave their dirty money around and kids still managed to get in with the wrong crowds. Normal problems, at least. Like anywhere else.

It was the perfect climate for a rookie cop to do some side work without jeopardizing his career.

Akihiko's superiors _loved _that he was always eager to work at night. He was still young enough that it didn't bother him, especially after nearly a year on the job. Besides, they had families and kids to go back to. Even if it was at the Kirijo Group's request (well, Mitsuru made it seem less formal than it sounded), he was glad to take his lumps. If it kept his precinct from hearing about his freelancing, all the better.

The Dark Hour still hadn't disappeared entirely. The Kirijo Group officially categorized it as falling into a 'waning/waxing period', but that didn't mean much to the remnants of SEES until recently. Akihiko didn't need to look at graphs of painstakingly compiled data to learn something he could experience firsthand. There used to be weeks or even months between Dark Hours. Recently, the gaps of relief were getting smaller and smaller. It coincided a little too perfectly with major rumors floating around the city like a low hanging fog.

Shinji always said Akihiko couldn't get info out of the seedy parts of the city when he looked so 'goody goody'. It was even harder now that he sported a button-up shirt and tie more often than not. He knew exactly what his friend would say if he could see him like that.

_These scumbags you're looking for don't care if your shirt is ironed, Aki. You look like a damn substitute teacher._

He had to laugh at himself. No one else was around to do that for him.

But he gathered whatever information that he could, and the leads were slowly but surely turning up. A small group that used to meet in back alleys and whisper about mysticism and gods that no one had ever heard of before wasn't quite so small anymore. They passed strange coded notes around and targeted troubled teenagers with promises of salvation and great rewards for those who dared to cast aside their old lives. The police considered them to be an emerging cult, but were lost without any indication of their goals.

Mitsuru had her own suspicions. It was Akihiko's job to confirm them.

Part of that was trying to blend into the less-than-reputable haunts in the seedier parts of Port Island. He learned to dress in a way that didn't scream 'rookie cop' quite as loudly (leaving his glasses at home, helped) and learned a surprising amount about mahjong strategies from the late nights he spent in bars getting the regulars to warm up to him. It wasn't exactly heart-pounding undercover work, but he got to enjoy himself once in awhile. That, and he was getting better at eavesdropping.

On one particular night, he had a lead on some sloppy gossip by teenagers with bags under their eyes. Vague comments about "the meeting later" while one of them nervously palmed a small, wrinkled piece of paper. Another young man began asking what to expect, but was promptly hushed by his friends. They shuffled out soon after that, and Akihiko followed them into the nearby back alleys.

An unpleasant gust of city wind rolled across his firmly set frown. Those kids were smarter than they looked, because there wasn't a single trace of them outside the bar. They knew not to loiter in one place for too long. He let out an irritated sigh, and readied his phone to message Mitsuru a summary of what he'd managed to gleam from his agonizingly slow investigation. He lifted the arm of his free hand, dabbing blindly at his damp face with the short sleeve of his shirt. The air was sickly humid as of late, and it was only going to get hotter as summer began.

While he was preoccupied, a soft set of footsteps very nearly escaped his notice. Just ahead, a relatively slender figure cut across the path to the mahjong bar and set off in the other direction. They might have _thought _they looked inconspicuous, but their clothing was completely at-odds with the early summer heat. Even the flash of a light, heathered gray sweatshirt with the hood pulled was enough to pique Akihiko's interest.

She hadn't been at the bar, but that didn't mean she wasn't worth following. Maybe he could get the Kirijo Group some good news after all.

He kept his footfalls quick but light as he pursued the stranger. It wasn't the most casual pace, but god, he was getting sick of being outpaced by sleep-deprived teens. The important thing was making sure he paid attention to his surroundings as he kept after the stranger. Accidentally finding yourself at a dead end is the best way to stumble into trouble. The kind that was made up of a drunk crowd of dropouts with bad intentions.

But he kept his gaze steadily forward, and noticed when the girl in the sweatshirt briefly glanced over her shoulder. Akihiko could see just enough of her face to see gloss-tinted lips purse in irritation, and then nothing else. He considered calling out to her. Maybe making a bad excuse to start a conversation, but he didn't get the chance. By the time he opened his mouth to say something, the she had already taken off sprinting and ducked around the next corner.

He could hear Shinji again.

_Are you stupid or something? If you were breathing down my neck, I'd probably run too._

Very funny. Without any alternatives left, Akihiko ran after the girl. She might have gotten a head start, but he was no slouch when it came to giving chase. The only problem now was whether or not she was running because she had something to hide, or if he actually scared her. God, he was really hoping it was the former. Unintentionally turning into a back alley creep would look pretty bad if word got back to his superiors.

That, and it was quickly dawning on him that this would look bad to _anyone _that came across them.

As they continued moving further behind the area's convenience stores and clubs, he realized he needed to try something else. The girl wasn't as far ahead of him now. Her hood had fallen down in the wind being funneled between the stained brick walls of the narrow alley, and he found himself staring at her long auburn ponytail as it bounced from side to side.

"H-Hey! Slow down!" A bad start, but what could he _possibly _say to make her want to stop? "I just… want to ask you some questions!"

Even as the words kept coming out of his mouth, he knew they were all _completely _unhelpful. But if they kept up their game of cat and mouse at this speed, she would probably fall and skin her knee or something. He didn't need to feel like any more of a bad guy than he did already.

She veered around another corner, not even deigning to look back and acknowledge his fruitless attempts to smooth over the situation. Letting out a frustrated (mostly at himself, by this point) groan, Akihiko's gait gained one last burst of speed as he made the same turn several seconds later. He was startled to see a pair of seething crimson eyes staring him down from a few yards away, and nearly fell over his own feet to come to a halt.

The girl's shoulders heaved as she caught her breath, fists balled up under the too-long sleeves of her sweatshirt. There was a disarmingly cute graphic with hearts and curly english text emblazoned over the front that he hadn't noticed from far away. It didn't match the annoyance painting the soft lines of her face and the exhausted pink tinge to her cheeks.

"I told you to stop following me! I keep saying it, but none of you ever listen!" She took a quick step forward, and Akihiko took an equal step back. No amount of police training could teach him how to respond when someone that he was a head taller than looked at him with eyes so full of fire. It didn't matter that he couldn't respond just yet, because she clearly wasn't finished. "I'm just looking for my friend, okay? If you don't want me to get _really _angry, go away!"

A few useless syllables tripped on their way out of his mouth. There was so much to unpack in those few sharp sentences. Where to begin?

"This is, uh… a misunderstanding.." He was still catching his breath while simultaneously wracking his brain for an excuse. He _was _following her. Pretending otherwise would probably just make her mad, and he was taking her threat seriously. "I heard some rumors about kids your age getting into trouble in this area, and I was looking into it. I didn't mean to startle you, miss."

The girl's expression was practically dripping with suspicion, but she leaned back on her heels slightly as he explained himself. It was oddly like watching a puppy with the heart of a police dog. Regardless of their difference in stature, he believed she might actually bite.

"If you don't want to startle people, don't follow them around in the dark," she replied plainly. It seemed like the sincerity in his voice was doing the heavy lifting that his actual explanation couldn't achieve on its own. She was still on guard, but less ready to fight. "And I've heard all the rumors. That's why I'm here, so leave me alone already."

It would be so much easier to just explain that he was a cop, but who knew if how alone they were? He couldn't risk wasting months of lurking around in smoke-filled bars for word to spread that he couldn't be trusted. A vague, but delicate touch was all he had.

He silently wished himself good luck. 'Delicate' had never really been his thing.

"Sorry, I promise I'm not with anyone that might have bothered you before." Her frown deepened in an instant, and he had to take a measured breath to recover. Okay, no more hollow assurances. Think. What would soften her up? "...You're looking for your friend? If she's in trouble, maybe I can help you. I saw people leaving the bar that looked suspicious and ran into you when I was trying to follow _them _, actually. Do you think she might be with them?"

Bullseye. The girl's stern gaze faltered for a moment, down toward her feet then back up. Maybe she was wondering how much time she was wasting by arguing with a stranger. Akihiko was beginning to get the impression that she was honest, at least. Not a member of the cult, but worried for someone being drawn into their fold.

"...Was there a girl with them?" It was the most begrudgingly cooperative tone he'd maybe ever heard out of someone so close to him in age. And he was used to talking to young adults that had very little respect for him, in this line of work. "She has sort of ashy brown hair and she's mature-looking. A few years older than me. That's all I'm telling you."

He frowned. It could be his excitement at finding a lead got the better of his memory in that moment, but he couldn't remember a girl fitting that description. Or during any of his previous nights out. Great. It never felt good to hit a wall again so soon.

"I don't think I saw anyone like that. Maybe if you tell me her n-"

The girl was already speaking over him.

"Do you know where those groups of people go to meet? Is it nearby?"

"I haven't been able to figure that out just yet, but-"

She didn't let him finish, once again.

"Do you know what this means?"

Her hands drew a crumpled piece of paper from the pocket of her sweatshirt. In the dim streetlight he could barely make out the messy strokes of dark blue in on its face. A hastily drawn oval with two bizarre curves bisecting it from top to bottom and left to right. He took a few steps closer to get a better look, but she drew her hand away when he didn't respond to the question.

She was gaping at him. It was almost as if she were deeply impressed, or exactly the opposite.

"You… don't know anything about them. Are you kidding me?"

A faint feeling of irritation welled up in his throat, and he furrowed his brow.

"Hang on, _I'm _not the one acting suspicious here." He gestured down toward the paper, which she promptly hid behind her back. "Where did you get something like that if you don't know the answers to any of those questions either? I've been after these people for months and this is the first I'm hearing about that weird picture!"

He watched as an odd, satisfied smile pulled at the strange girl's lips. The knowing look in her eyes made the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. It was clear that she felt zero obligation to explain herself, and was taking great pleasure in out-classing him in his own investigation.

"I guess I'm just doing a better job than you are."

Akihiko sputtered in his attempt to reply, but he could already feel an embarrassed flush creeping up from his collarbone to his ears. This wasn't normal. She was stepping all over his ego and making it look like fun. What was it about her that made his chest feel so tight and angry? He usually had a better hold on his emotions than this.

_Don't worry, time's up for tonight. Too bad. I could watch her dress you down for hours, Aki._

As badly as he wanted to get in the last word, the city itself interrupted their conversation. One of the nearby clocks began to chime loudly, each of the steady tones twisting and turning through the backstreets of Tatsumi Port Island until the count of twelve. The humid air turned putrid and clammy, while all the colors around them faded to slight variations of the same shade of green. Blood seeped through the cracks in the wall, and there was a deep gurgling noise behind him.

"Wh-... _What is that!? _"

Akihiko was already turning and pulling his evoker from the shoulder holster under his tidy button-up shirt. _That _was why it paid off to dress nicely and wear multiple layers, Shinji. He pressed the barrel of the gun beneath his chin and pulled the trigger.

A small but feisty group of shadows was scurrying toward the two of them, clawing at the ground and pulling their body mass along behind them. Bursts of flame shot out of their clawed fingers in small plumes, but the flash of light and wind from Caesar's arrival seemed to startle them out of attacking first. There were a few loud cracks as bolts of lightning cut into the asphalt, and the creatures groaned angrily as their bodies burned away into mist.

"Stay behind me, okay?" He looked over his shoulder as he tried to reassure her. By her tone and the look on her face, it was clear that this was probably the first time she hadn't transmogrified. Their differences aside, it was his duty to keep her safe. "This is called 'The Dark Hour', and those monsters are- _H-Hey! Where are you going? _"

Akihiko stumbled to the side as the girl shoved past him, making a break for it down the way they'd both came. She only turned enough to yell back at him one last time before disappearing from sight.

"If you ever see me again, don't you dare talk to me!"

He was too dumbfounded to even bother chasing after her again.

"Not even a 'thank you'..." Allowing himself a deep sigh, eyes closed, Akihiko took a moment to reflect on how badly this had all gone. His interrogation was turned around on him, and his best lead yet clearly didn't have the greatest impression of him. That was _something _to give the Kirijo Group, right?

What a letdown. He had higher standards for himself than this.

When he opened his eyes again, however, there was a consolation prize dancing at his feet. In her haste to get away, the girl had dropped the piece of paper with the cult drawing on it. He bent to pick it up, examining the image one more time. It still didn't look familiar, but there was something unsettling about the crude, deep lines. The person who drew it was pushing the pen down so hard that it indented the back of the paper, raised like a swollen, amatuer tattoo.

Looking at it for too long made him feel uneasy. Like when you accidentally make eye contact with a stranger, and both of you can't look away fast enough. He folded it neatly after a minute or two and put it in his pocket. Finally, something to feel good about.

After all, he needed to return the paper to its owner.


	2. Chapter 2

**_And if you wanna make it through the night, you better say my name like_**

**_The Good, The Bad, and The Dirty_**

It didn't take long before everyone was asking about the bags under her eyes. So much for sliding under the radar at school, but Minako couldn't even be annoyed with her friends. Only herself, for not making better progress in her investigation. That meant a lot of late nights in shady places. A lot of unwanted attention from just about anyone that was familiar with her usual habits.

Studying on the train, the morning of a big exam? Jumping from club to club every Saturday night? How far the former student council vice president has fallen!

Whatever. The rumors didn't bug her that much. Her grades were still fine and she was still making it to nearly every volleyball practice. The school year was almost over, and then she could _really _dedicate herself to getting more information about that cult and those creepy, tired-looking boys and girls that kept following her.

It was pretty funny when she paused to considered the reality of what she was doing. It was a shame, too. A college girl without any particularly special skills beyond pure grit had to take matters into her own hands because no one else was working hard enough. That didn't used to annoy her so much, but the feeling had festered thanks to that strange guy she met.

How does someone _that _clueless end up looking for such dangerous people?

Minako swore to herself that she wouldn't give him another passing thought. It worked just up until the moment she realized that she lost her only physical clue regarding the cult's whereabouts thanks to him. Between that and the weird monsters that showed up out of nowhere that night (and all subsequent nights since then), she sometimes found her mind wandering to thoughts of him far more often than she'd like to admit.

She should have shoved him harder when she had the chance.

Not that she could blame _all _of her problems on him, as much fun as it was to try. Minako was nothing if not a little too brave and painfully observant. The ones following her didn't used to be so easy to spot. It was possible that the cult was getting bigger by the day and she was just noticing them more often as their numbers grew, but even that felt overly simplistic. It felt far more likely that they simply didn't care if she spotted them. Like they followed her with the goal of eventually being seen.

No one else acted like they saw them, after all. Maybe the recognition felt good. At the very least, that was the only reason she could imagine Saori had for hanging around anyone like that. She'd never admit to doing anything that could make people worry about her, but hardly anyone even noticed when she suddenly stopped coming to class for days at a time.

Minako overheard two faculty members whispering that they couldn't get in touch with her parents, no matter how many times they called. They didn't seem to care that their only daughter could be sick or in danger, they'd said. It squared with the little bit Saori had bothered to mention about her home life. Now she hadn't seen her friend in over a week, and no one else was going to look for her.

Considering the relatively short amount of time she spent looking into this cult, Minako felt good about the progress she was making. With a little more pushing, she knew she'd hear something that could lead to wherever they eventually took kids that were fully invested in whatever they preached at those meetings.

However, she could put her investigation on hold for the next few hours. Amidst all the gossip and curious looks being thrown her way, Rio was nice enough to ask her out for the evening. Paulownia Mall was their usual haunt by now; and there was nothing like squeezing inside a purikura booth or five to lift a girl's mood. The dark circles under her eyes were no match for the filters on one of those things. They were probably too old for photo booths and crane games, but that didn't stop them from having fun anyway.

Plus, the elementary school kids thought they were cool. That counted for something.

"Do you have to do this on _every _picture?" Rio frowned as they looked over their spread, pointing sternly to each and every thumbnail-sized photo in the bright, spring-y pink and yellow template. Minako had given them both floppy rabbit ears in all of them. "I mean, at least do cat ears once or twice."

"Isn't it tradition?" She retorted, scanning her handiwork with a satisfied smile. "If I stop now, it'll be bad luck. Besides, you look so cute like that!"

Someone stifled a laugh not too far from where they were standing. She almost missed it as Rio kept going on teasing her, but it came with the unmistakable sensation of being watched. An all too familiar occurrence these days.

The sound of the bustling crowd faded to the background. She looked around, catching the cool, gray gaze of a young man for only a split second. He was sitting on a nearby bench, doing a spectacularly bad job of pretending to read a book. She could have kicked herself for not noticing that he was watching her sooner.

Whatever her face looked like, Rio quickly followed her eyeline to the offending individual.

"Wow, talk about conspicuous," she said in a soft, amused voice. "That's gotta be the least convincing cover he's used all night."

There was a moment of silence before those words sunk in. Minako finally turned to her friend in disbelief, completely unable to parse what she was hearing. Before she could explain her confusion, Rio's eyes shined with surprised and pure, unadulterated amusement.

"No way… You didn't notice him following us this whole time?" She leaned in closer, and Minako felt her cheeks turning red at an alarming rate. How is it possible to be so good at noticing cult members, but not completely ridiculous, nosy strangers? "Minako, are you for real? He followed us to and from every single game we played in the arcade! He put in money in the machines next to ours, then didn't even bother playing! The only reason I didn't say anything is because he looked pretty harmless, if not a little weird."

This couldn't get any worse. There was no way to explain to Rio that they met before without also getting into the circumstances behind it. An intense urge to run over and knee the young man right in the nose almost consumed her, but it wouldn't be that easy to get rid of this problem.

Thinking quickly, Minako suddenly found herself letting out a rather bashful laugh. It didn't sound _too _forced, which was absolutely key in a situation like this. Rio was could be impressively sharp at the most inopportune times.

"O-Oh… Oh, no! This is so embarrassing, Rio!" She did her best to keep her voice low, now painfully aware that the stranger might overhear their conversation. This was officially a full-blown emergency, and he didn't deserve any more ammunition to use against her later. "I can't believe he's acting like this… We promised to keep it a secret for now!"

Much to her relief, it was Rio's turn to look confused. Minako punctuated her lie-by-omission by shyly covering her face with both hands, peeking at her friend between parted fingers. She practically held her breath, waiting for the story to tell itself in the silence.

Finally, Rio let out an excited gasp. She began to speak, but stopped herself to take a measured breath. Feeling more composed, she pulled Minako's hands away from her face and grasped them tightly in her own.

"That guy…" She kept to a whisper, fully seeming to grasp the gravity of the situation. Her eyes were hungry for confirmation. "_ Is that handsome guy your boyfriend, Minako? _"

Oh, Rio. It felt so wrong to lie to her, but what else could she do? It only took a single, quick nod before the other girl practically tackled her into a tight hug. Soon they were both squealing and jumping up and down while passersby paused to watch, possibly alarmed by all the noise.

"You're so…! How'd you…? Oh my god, you need to tell me _everything _later!" Rio gripped her shoulders, the dead serious slant to her voice impossible to miss. Good, it seemed like she'd be okay to slip away for now. It would give her time to fill-in their romantic backstory. "I'll head home now, so you guys can have some space."

Minako made about a dozen different promises to fill Rio in before she actually left, unable to turn down her friend's demands for the scoop on her imagined dalliances. Near the end, she found herself getting more and more annoyed with the stranger.

Sure, the lie was a desperate invention made in a state of panic, but it sure felt like his fault.

Still bristling with irritation, she let out a big sigh before making her way over to the bench. He hadn't bothered to move, and made no attempt to acknowledge her when she approached. Maybe it would have been polite to clear her throat or say 'excuse me', but she wasn't in the mood to play nice.

"Hey," she called out flatly. "Is this a hobby of yours? Or is it just _me _that you're stalking? I told you to leave me alone."

The young man's shoulders shook as he began laughing again, finally closing the book he'd been feigning such interest in. This didn't help her mood.

"You actually told me not to talk to you again, but I'll assume you changed your mind." He stood up, towering over her even from a distance of a few feet. The most annoying part of his face was how laidback and friendly it looked. "And, don't worry. Like last time, us being in the same place is a coincidence. I've been looking for more leads since then."

There was no way for her to argue with him on that. Paulownia Mall was, after all, a popular spot for people of all ages to gather. If he was still looking into the cult, there were worse places to loiter.

"You mean you stole my lead because you didn't have any good ones," she retorted, though it lacked some of her previous venom. "If you still think I have something to do with the cult, drop it. And the girl I was with? Leave her out of this. She's a good person. I don't ever want to hear that you're following _her _too."

For whatever reason, he didn't seem to expect that. Some of the tension left the stranger's body language as he reached into his pocket, taking out what looked like a wallet. He flipped it open, showing her what was inside.

A small badge and ID.

"I didn't want to say anything in the alley, just in case anyone was listening in. I spent too much time building up a cover in that area and most of the regulars still don't particularly trust me." As strange as it seemed for him to tell her this, something told her that he wasn't lying. He didn't seem like he'd be good at it. "My name's Akihiko Sanada. You can check my identity over at the police station, if you want. Officer Kurosawa and I go way back."

Minako had plenty of time to inspect his ID before he put it away. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again. This turn of events… actually made a lot of sense. It suddenly dawned on her just how close she came to assaulting a cop in public. It was a weird feeling. Like regret and nostalgia, but for an opportunity to do something that would have caused a whole lot of trouble.

He took it upon himself to fill the silence when she didn't have a response.

"I'm not going to bother your friend. I could tell by how you acted with each other that you're two of a kind." His head tilted toward the arcade, the corner of his mouth curling up slyly. "You already look a little bit like a rabbit, you know. Without adding ears, even."

Minako felt her face flush. She turned sharply on her heel and began walking quickly toward the back of the mall. The young cop, Akihiko, stumbling slightly over his own feet to keep pace with her. He let out a hurried half-apology for teasing her, but she didn't slow down.

"It's a good thing. If someone your age is out having fun like this, it means you're definitely not getting into trouble. How long do I have to wait for you to tell me your name, by the way?"

"You won't bother my friends, but you're still bothering _me _." It was still early enough in the evening that she had to weave carefully through the crowd to avoid colliding with groups of high schoolers. But he was determined to stay close behind. Too bad; if the mall were just a little bigger, she could probably make a break for it and lose him entirely. "Either you don't have any new leads, or you think I was holding out last time and know more than I said."

She paused, and let out a frustrated huff. "It's Minako Arisato. I'm telling you because you're a police officer, not because we're friends now."

"Alright, Minako. And, yeah, you're on the right track." He deferred to her without a fight, and when she dared to glance back, he simply shrugged. "It's more that I think you're the type to attract trouble. I've been watching those cult kids for months, and they're hard to catch. You made it sound like you see them pretty often, which completely goes against their usual behavior. Call it intuition, but I think that's worth looking into."

"That's the smartest thing you've managed to say to me across two conversations. I _do _attract trouble. Trouble and cops, apparently." Her jaw tightened, and she briefly lamented the loss of her normal day-to-day life. Before she started having weird nightmares and seeing monsters at midnight. "So, in the hopes that you'll find someone else to hassel and leave me alone, I'm doing you a favor."

They came to the emergency exit door at the very back of the building. Before he could get out any protest, Minako pushed it open. A gust of hot evening air rushed inside, but no alarms sounded. According to her classmates, it had been broken for years.

"A favor?"

Despite his confusion, Akihiko followed her out into the alley behind the mall. The narrow walls stretched high above their heads. There was no one around, and she was suddenly struck by how intensely naive this guy was for a cop. If she were part of the cult, she could be leading him straight into a trap. His innocence might have broken her heart if it wasn't so annoying.

"This is where I saw that symbol." They barely had to turn a corner before she stopped, pointing to a collection of white paint lines on a section of brick. It was partially faded, but unmistakably intentional. "I think the paint they use to supposed to be temporary, but this area doesn't get as much rain, sun, or wind as the open alleys in other places they hang out."

Akihiko was silent as he studied the symbol. Following a short pause, he reached into his other pocket and unfolded a familiar piece of paper. Minako felt another jolt of irritation buzz around her ears like an angry bee. Couldn't he make his own copy, at least?

"It must mean something… They probably use it to mark a temporary meeting place, maybe before moving to a new location." He squinted, turning his head slightly. His eyes darted back and forth from the paper to the wall, as if trying to find a hidden thread between them. For the first time since they met, Minako felt like she was looking at an actual professional. "But symbols like this aren't arbitrary, so… what is it?"

While he was talking to himself, Minako slowly found herself getting absorbed in the question as well. She never really thought the meaning of the symbol was significant, but that didn't mesh with how the human mind works. Sports teams have mascots, brands have their own unique look, and groups of people with a shared ideology need something to represent themselves beyond words and philosophies.

Stepping behind Akihiko, she glanced over his shoulder and tried it his way. The symbol on the wall, distressed as the paint was, looked identical to her drawing. An upright oval with two perpendicular curved lines cutting through its center. The longer she stared at it, the more it felt like it was staring right back.

"Oh…"

The realization came quickly, accompanied by a bizarre, hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. Despite how deeply engrossed in this image he was a moment ago, Akihiko was now looking straight at her. He was clearly waiting for her to explain herself, so she did.

"Isn't it… a mask?" Minako held a hand up near her face, mimicking the way someone might remove a noh mask, or something of a similar size. "When I look at it, it feels like looking at a face, but not really. It's not an actual person, but something that would shield them from view. I mean… that's what it looks like to me."

However she came to the conclusion, Akihiko seemed absolutely delighted.

"I knew it," he proclaimed. The proud little twinkle in his eye was hard to look at directly. Did her guess make him _that _happy? "I knew it would be worth it to find you again. I could use your perspective going forward with this investigation, and I'd be glad to tell you all about the Dark Hour and shadows in return so that we-"

"No! No way, cut that out!" Minako cut him off, taking a step backward to put some familiar distance between them. Why did she even open her mouth? "Listen, I don't want to play detective with you. I don't want to know about those weird monsters! I only started looking into this cult stuff because my friend disappeared a few days ago and I want to make sure she's okay."

To say that Akihiko looked disappointed was a major understatement. He began to argue, but she didn't let him. She raised both arms defensively, as if physically blocking his attempts to speak.

"I'll help you if, _and only if _, you hear anything about Saori Hasegawa. Otherwise, I haven't changed my opinion about you!" She almost expected him to try to get another word in at this point. But he waited for her to finish this time. "Like I said before, don't talk to me. Don't _follow _me, either! I… I don't want to be involved in this."

Finally, she felt like she was done. Minako began to turn and leave, but something occurred to her at the last second. There were two things in this alley that she couldn't leave without.

"Sorry, one more thing." She moved back to his right side, pulling her phone out of her crossbody bag. Standing snug against him, she flashed a smile at her camera and took a picture of the two of them before he could object. While he was still puzzled, she snatched the cult drawing from his hand. Both it and her phone went straight back into her bag.

"Rio wouldn't forgive me if I didn't take a picture."

And _then _she left as quickly as she could. He didn't follow her this time. It was kind of fun to imagine him standing there, dumbstruck for another few minutes.


	3. Chapter 3

"It seems that Saori Hasegawa briefly attended Gekkoukan High School in 2009."

The sound of shuffling papers layered over Mitsuru's voice on the other end of the phone. The former student council president still had considerable pull at their alma mater. It took less than a day for her to track down Hasegawa's file. Impressive by any metric, but then, that was the kind of thing that the Kirijou Group was good at.

_Admit it; even Mitsuru is a better cop than you are, Aki._

He elected to ignore that. Akihiko splayed his elbows out on his desk, a pen in his hand primed to take notes. What that girl, Minako, said during their last encounter had stuck with him.

He'd find her friend. Then, at least he could say that he helped someone instead of chasing vague tips that didn't pay off.

"How briefly are we talking here? We would have been seniors then, but I don't think I ever met her." As much as Akihiko fancied himself a model upperclassman at that time, the SEES members were... pretty distracted during that whole year.

Mitsuru let out a sigh laced with audible irritation.

"_Very_ briefly, I'm afraid. Her homeroom teacher at the time wrote extensive notes on the events leading to her transfer." A pause, and the sound of more pages turning. "It seems that she wasn't very popular among other second year girls. There are vague references to an interview that she gave to a somewhat... seedy underground magazine known for intentionally misquoting and exploiting high schoolers."

That rang a bell. Near the beginning of his training, he shadowed a detective following a case like that. Whispers of local high school students that gave interviews being threatened with blackmail. They would take the student's picture for the interview, and print it along with words they never said.

They'd then suggest that the interviewee's name might get leaked. Cash would trade hands for several weeks until the scandal died down. Then the process would repeat with a new victim.

"I assume that Hasegawa didn't leave Gekkou on good terms?" He knew the answer to that. As dear as his old high school and the people in it were to him, not all of them were kind. The bullying that Fuuka had endured was proof enough of that.

"No, I'm afraid not. But, according to the file from her subsequent high school, she went on to graduate there without incident." No wonder he could hear so many papers. How many files did she have pulled, exactly? "Due to the circumstances of her transfer, these notes were rather detailed too. They mention that her attitude and grades both greatly improved once she had a stable friend group."

_Weird, that didn't work for me. __Maybe __you weren't such a great friend after all._

Akihiko grimaced. His subconscious was being hard on him lately. Shinjiro never pulled any punches when he was alive, though. It would be strange for him to start now.

Then, something occurred to him.

"Hang on... This could be a long shot, but do you think you could look for another student's file from that school?"

"So we _do _think alike sometimes, Akihiko." He could hear a familiar, satisfied note in her response. That was good. It usually meant that she hit a particularly juicy vein of information. "Your problem child, Minako Arisato? She was in Hasegawa's class in their third year. Her file isn't very detailed, but it speaks volumes. All I know is that she played volleyball and got into a few fights on the behalf of other students."

Akihiko couldn't help but smile and lean back in his chair. This situation was still as serious as it gets, but still. Leave it to Mitsuru to have an answer to a question before he even asked it.

"Yeah, that tracks with what I know about her so far."

The next night he was out stalking the back alleys of Port Island, it was a full moon. There was a time where seeing it hanging in the sky still made him tense all over. It loomed over the city like the single eye of a discerning god, disappointed with the humans below. The moonlight cast long, twisted shadows in the space between the skyscrapers. It made the young island feel like a too-small cage.

So long after their confrontation with Nyx, though, it didn't feel that bad. Amidst all the bad memories and trauma of high school, he felt good about those nights now. It might not have been a perfect happy ending, but they saved a lot of people. It was worth the effort for that reason alone. The Dark Hour wasn't an enemy as much as the one place he could operate completely within his element now.

But, on full moons, he still made a point to avoid the backstreet where Shinjiro died.

_Afraid I'll haunt you twice or something? You're already stuck with me, dumbass. You can't hide from reality forever._

Maybe it was still too soon. Or he was more scared of it than he'd like to admit. Either way, it was ritual now. He'd stick with it until it didn't feel right anymore.

As if worried it could disappear while he wasn't looking, Akihiko took a picture out of his pocket. He studied the image of Saori Hasegawa, committing her face to memory once again. The photo was a little older, from the year she started college. Mitsuru's quick and thorough research had provided him with a lot of good information.

Unsurprisingly, Minako Arisato was attending the same college as Saori Hasegawa. And something told him she wouldn't be thrilled that he'd managed to look into her background. If at all possible, he would avoid bringing up how thorough of an investigation Mitsuru had done.

Not that he needed to justify himself. He was a cop and she was a suspicious figure in his investigation of a damn _cult _. It felt silly to remind himself that he was doing the right thing here.

After their conversation behind the mall, he decided to stop trying to follow people. It seemed more worthwhile to focus on the evidence he already had, and those mask symbols were a good start.

If she was right, and it designated a meeting place of some kind, it could provide a massive break for him. If he could find a freshly painted one, he'd have a chance of seeing the cult members assemble there later.

Akihiko paused to look at a wall he was passing. The stained bricks were weathered and worn, but he could still make out faded lines of white paint on them. He stepped back, and considered it from further away.

It was hard to see now, but he could make out the general shape of the mask. Exactly the same size as the one from behind the mall. It might've even been drawn at the same height, which was fantastic news. The person who put it there would have to be unusually tall and, by extension, easy to spot.

As he was reaching for his notebook to jot this observation down, a sharp groan cut across the hot night air. It startled him enough that he almost dropped his pen, but only for a moment. That level of listless irritation was starting to become familiar to him.

He looked to his left, and there was Minako Arisato. She was wearing another disarmingly cute outfit, like every other time he'd seen her. It was completely at odds with the look of bottomless annoyance on her face. He noticed that she didn't actually seem surprised. It made sense; they were close to the spot where they first met around two weeks ago.

He shot her a smile and a small, friendly wave with the hand holding his pen.

"Hi there, Minako."

Her radiating anger seemed to shrink inward, as if already resigned to this third confrontation. Her fists clenched tight at her sides as she walked over to him.

"We need to stop meeting like this," she replied flatly. Since she was the one that found _him _, she seemed disheartened. This time, she couldn't scold him for instigating the conversation. "Find something good?"

Her less than half-hearted attempt at civility was almost as surprising as it was, well, sort of funny.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

Red eyes flashed like dying embers, as if asking 'why are you like this?' He couldn't resist, and her utter disdain was now palpable. Should he be shaking in fear or laughing at her expense? He couldn't decide.

"We're both doing pretty great, right? Another hot night, where the pavement stinks like spilled sake." They were standing shoulder to shoulder now, and she spoke while squinting at the cult symbol. Like it was completely natural to study this new clue while also taking pot shots at him. "Stuffy and uncomfortable, lonesome and unlikable. _You _are, I mean."

_See, what'd I tell you? I like this girl._

"F-Fine, no more small talk..."

An awkward silence hung there for a moment, but Minako cleared her throat to cut through it. She leaned closer, giving his arm a light, amiable slap. It could have been his imagination, but the gesture felt like an wordless apology for going a little too far. When she spoke again, her tone was perfectly conversational.

"So? You looked happy a minute ago. Got something to share?"

Akihiko snapped back to attention, remembering why they were there. Right, the cult. This time, he had a shot at getting her to stick around and help if he played his cards right.

"Yeah, this one looks recent, but not too recent. You said it seems like the paint is temporary, right?" He gestured toward the wall as he spoke. "It's been rainy for the past two or so days, but you can still see a little bit of this one. This could have been the last place they met."

A look of surprise replaced her lingering annoyance. Minako studied the remnants of paint again, then promptly furrowed her brow.

"The last place they met? But I thought..."

Minako let out a surprised gasp, then began excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet. Before he could even ask what was happening, she'd already snatched up his hand and pulled hard. They were soon running off in the direction that she came from.

"Whoa! Hang on, where are we going?" Akihiko fumbled to get his notebook back into his pocket, barely keeping pace. How was such a short girl so damn fast? "It would be nice if you explained what you're thinking! And I wasn't done looking at that!"

"Like usual, you're one step behind me! I saw a symbol not far from here and I thought it could be too old to be worth looking at." She shot a playful grin over her shoulder, and ignored his hand's vague protests to her iron grip. He didn't need to be dragged along, but she obviously didn't care. "But _now _I think it was more recent! So if the symbol you found is the most recent meeting place, then the one I found..."

Akihiko didn't need to hear the rest. Now he was getting excited too.

"It might be the _next _one...!"

What a development this was turning out to be. If they actually managed to locate the spot where the cult would meet next, the clues would keep coming.

It'd take a day or two, but they could figure out how often they actually meet. How large the groups at these meetings were. How often new kids were being brought into the fold.

They kept running, and his head kept spinning with all these new possibilities.

Their goals. How dangerous they were. A hierarchy of leadership, if there was one. He didn't realize it, but he was squeezing Minako's hand back. He might as well have been sweating endorphins, he was so damn happy.

_Shit, Aki. Don't be the guy that creams his pants thinkin' about a cult._

Nice try. He'd need a lot more than that to squash his good mood now.

"It's right over here!"

A few more yards and the pair stumbled to a halt. Minako wrenched her hand from their (now mutual) grips, and pointed at a large dumpster. The lid was open and resting against a wall, and the cult symbol stood out in stark contrast to the black plastic. The paint was peeling, but it didn't look that old.

Akihiko looked around this new area, beginning to recognize where they were. It was a location that he definitely patrolled within the past week, but quickly wrote-off.

"When did they manage to do that?" He thought aloud. Minako was still catching her breath, but shot him a curious glance. "I haven't seen anyone suspicious here. Not recently, at least."

Her lips pursed as she considered his confusion. It was strange to watch her put so much effort into this. But, he supposed, this time it was _her _idea to help him.

"You're sure?" She asked, once again looking over the cult symbol. "But, isn't the paint newer? There's no way the other one you found tonight is more recent that this one!"

Akihiko paused again. He thought back to the last time he was in this area, which wasn't too hard. One of the bars he liked to eavesdrop at was around the corner. This dumpster probably got used by their kitchen staff all the time.

Then, the simple explanation hit him.

"It must have been painted a more than a week ago, but the lid isn't typically wide open like this. They hid it until they needed to use it for their next meeting."

Minako's entire face lit up. She was starting to look more and more like the girl he saw having fun in the arcade. The way that stray strands of hair from her dainty updo framed her face made her look... he wasn't sure how to describe it.

She looked like a person with a good heart. The kind of person that threw a punch, however clumsy, for someone weaker than her.

He could offer to teach her how to throw a real punch, but she probably wouldn't accept.

"That could mean that other symbols were painted in advance, too! Or hidden! Wow... No wonder I never found anything by trying to follow them. They're smarter than I thought." As soon as it came, her look of righteous satisfaction vanished. "How smart, though? If they don't want us finding them, I doubt they would show up here anytime soon."

"It's 'us' now? I wasn't expecting that."

She let out something between a scoff and a forced laugh, eyes rolling. He never met someone so bad at pretending they weren't friendly when they clearly were.

"Nice try. I stick by what I said before; I'm not doing anything crazy unless it helps Saori. We're not at that point yet, and you're..."

Before Akihiko could hear what he 'was', Minako trailed off. Her eyes locked somewhere past him, and guarded concern spread across her face.

"Okay, I was wrong. They want us to find them."

Akihiko turned to see what she looking at. He had a good idea, but it still went far beyond his expectations.

A large group of people were staggering down the alley from the way they came. He couldn't count them from where he was standing, but there were way more than two. Which made them vastly outnumbered.

They didn't have much in common on the surface, but they were all young and tired-looking. Like the kids who were suffering from Apathy Syndrome several years ago. Only this time, there was an unsettling air of purpose to their movements.

"It's true! Our Brother has arrived."

A voice called out from the other side of the alley. When Akihiko looked back again, he realized too late that they were cornered on both sides. Soon, cult members all began calling out with similar sentiments to the first person.

**Fate. Prophecy. Our Brother.**

As quiet as their voices were, they overlapped too much for him to take the words in after a while. He couldn't help but look to Minako through the gently building chaos. She looked pretty much exactly how he felt, which wasn't a surprise. They were desperate for a way out of there.

The advancing crowd was only interrupted by a sudden, low, and almost deafening chime. There wasn't even a building with a clock nearby, but the concrete vibrated against the soles of their feet. He'd never heard anything like it.

Akhiko turned his face toward the sky. Even as it became tinted green, the light from the full moon hurt his eyes. For something that always happened at midnight, the Dark Hour had impeccable timing. It wasn't the most masterful escape, but it would work.

"N-Not this again!"

Minako watched with some horror as the cult members' bodies twisted into grotesque shapes. At the same time, he could see shadows materializing on the walls around them. Angry balls of blackish sludge, using sickly claws to pull themselves down toward the pair.

The cult members that remained seemed to panic all at once. As if sensing that they were out of time, the crowd rushed inward. Over two dozen people were sprinting toward them from both directions.

Akihiko managed to grab his evoker from its holster, but he wasn't sure what to do first. Transmogrified coffins began to line the alley. He turned to Minako, intending to say something, but nothing came out. They shared one last moment of silent panic before bodies began crashing into them.

Akihiko felt someone wrench his evoker out of his hand. He glanced down at his feet, but another person's shoulder knocked him badly off balance.

By the time he looked up again, he couldn't see Minako anymore. His heart sank, and he was suddenly, genuinely horrified. Shorter and much lighter, he knew his so-called partner must have been pulled away.

The cult members continued their frenzied crusade for another minute or so, but their numbers dwindled. More and more coffins filled the alley, which would have been a relief if it weren't for the shadows.

They splattered onto the ground around Akihiko, advancing on him like a familiar old rival. Now would have been the perfect time to actually use his evoker, but there was no time to look for it. Several smaller shadows lunged for him. He managed to throw one or two good punches before his back collided with the nearest wall.

He pulled up his arms defensively, catching a small explosion of fire. It burned straight through his right sleeve, forcing a pained hiss through his teeth. They weren't even _strong_shadows, but he could only do so much without Caesar.

Ironically, he found himself thinking about high school. That full moon in April, when he was out by himself. Mitsuru warned him, and years later, it was still happening.

"_ Persona!"_

A bizarre sound cut through the shadows' hungry cacophony. Bullets fell from the sky like hail, whistling until they collided violently with black flesh, or sinew, or whatever shadows were made of. They shredded in an instant, one-by-one, and vanished.

Where the mob of monstered used to be, Minako was standing alone. Besides a skinned knee and cheeks stained with a few angry tears, she appeared unharmed. The moonlight cast long shadows over all the coffins still lining the pavement.

It made it look like there were twice as many. Like she was the only living person in an eerie, above ground graveyard. She let out a slow, shallow breath, and walked over to him.

"...I knew I'd regret getting involved in this." She let out a small sniffle, and hastily rubbed at her eyes with her free hand. "Are you okay? Those... _monsters_ really seemed to hate you."

Akihiko started to explain that he'd be fine, but stopped. He didn't realize until then exactly why her other hand was occupied.

She was holding an evoker.

A momentary wave of relief came over him. It made sense that she picked his up during the shuffle. When she noticed him looking, Minako lifted it so that they could both examine it.

"Oh, yeah. I saw you with one of these things the night we met. I sort of... guessed how to use it. I'm glad I was right."

She turned it over, and the moonlight illuminated the side of the evoker. The metal looked worn, even somewhat dingy. It was engraved with 'S.E.E.S.' in small letters that he recognized perfectly. The sight made a heavy lump form in his throat.

_Ha, you've gotta be kiddin' me. That ain't your evoker, Aki. So, whose is it?_

Akihiko cleared his throat. He made a deliberate attempt to keep his tone calm and measured.

"Uh, Minako. Where did you get that?"

Her wide, bemused eyes spoke volumes all on their own. She didn't understand what he was asking, or why.

"Didn't you give it to me? I saw you take it out right before we got separated." She tilted her head as she spoke, still clearly trying to make sense of the past few minutes herself. "I felt someone push it into my hand and tell me to use it. You're welcome, by the way."

Akihiko ran an anxious hand through his hair. Great. He was experiencing a real rollercoaster of emotions tonight. He knew what he had to do next, but it was also one of the _last _things he wanted to do.

Mitsuru would kill him for involving a college kid in this investigation, but there was no doubt now. Whether she wanted to be or not, Minako was part of this. They couldn't just let a new persona-user go.

"Great, so. What are you doing tomorrow? I need to introduce you to someone."


	4. Chapter 4

Mitsuru Kirijo was seething. Eyes closed, fingertips pressed lightly to her own forehead. As if she were urging away an oncoming migraine instead fof speaking with a childhood friend.

They were sat around a large table in a building owned by the Kirijo Group. After recounting the past few weeks' events, an icy sort of silence fell over the group. Akihiko fidgeted in his seat like a kid that knew he was in trouble.

Minako wanted to laugh at him, but resisted the urge.

"Allow me to confirm what you've just told me." When Mitsuru finally spoke, her voice sliced through the quiet. It was calm, but by no means thrilled. "Not only did you fail to be discrete in your investigation as both a detective and representative of the Kirijo Group... But you've also enlisted a civilian's assistance without asking for permission?"

Akihiko made a strained, uncertain noise in protest. Before he had a chance to argue, Mitsuru's eyes flickered open again. Her severe gaze alone killed his retort where it began in this throat.

"Have you changed at all since we were teenagers?" She spoke as if this were a speech she'd rehearsed and given many times. "Having these dramatic adventures may be fun for you, but it makes _my _job more difficult in the process."

"You've always told me not to do things alone. Doesn't this count for something?"

Mitsuru didn't stumble at his retort. If anything, she her severe gaze hardened.

"She's in college!" Her closed first slammed against the table. The tidy surface clattered in protest. "Disrupting a stranger's education is hardly a noble pursuit. Even if it was, it does _not_make up for allowing a cult member to steal your evoker out of your hand!"

Akihiko was losing, and he knew it. Still, he continued to argue his case. It seemed like a routine they practiced often.

"I-It's not a problem if none of them are persona-users! Come on, I apologized last night, but there were dozens of them. If they want her, isn't she safer with us anyway?"

Mitsuru's attention turned back to Minako. She couldn't help but sit up a little straighter in her chair, hands folded politely in her lap.

"Arisato, I apologize. You've had no say in your role in this investigation, thus far." It would have been easy to miss, but Minako realized the other girl's expression had softened. "Many persona-users were never given a choice in fighting. I'm doing my best to change that."

It didn't occur to her, up until this point, that there _was _a choice. All she wanted was to make sure Saori was safe, and make those cult weirdos leave them alone.

"We'd be happy to provide you protection until the situation has been resolved," Mitsuru continued. Akihiko opened his mouth to argue. As if anticipating this, she swiftly lifted a hand without taking her eyes off of Minako. Palm out, it said 'don't even start', then fell once more to her side. "Despite what tall tales Akihiko may have told you, we won't force you into anything. I want to set up an interview and go over your previous encounters with the cult, but still, you're free to refuse."

That was tempting. Minako suddenly found the redhead's gaze too difficult to keep, and gazed down at her lap. If the Kirijo Group had approached her a few weeks ago, she definitely would have refused to speak to them. She'd love to ignore everything going on and move on with her life.

College. Volleyball. Going to the arcade, or karaoke.

It would have felt fantastic to say no, but she wouldn't. If Saori was in trouble, other kids at her school were too. People she grew up with; even the ones she didn't particularly like. None of them deserved to get ripped from their lives and thrown into the fire.

People ignored The Lost when Apathy Syndrome was spreading in the city. It would be pointless to do nothing if she had the ability to save someone.

She smiled, despite herself.

"Sorry, this has been a lot to take in. I didn't mean to give you the impression that I didn't plan to help." She paused, remembering something, and dug through the tote bag at her side. "To _really _help, I mean. Akihiko said you might know what this is?"

She slid the strange gun - the evoker - across the table. The metal glided into Mitsuru's hand. If she was surprised by Minako's willingness to cooperate, she didn't let on too much. She lifted the evoker off the table and flipped it over, examining it.

"I didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but..." Akihiko felt safe enough to speak up, but trailed off. He looked from one girl to the other, elbows splayed out on the table. "I mean, I don't remember _exactly _what the different versions of the evokers look like, but isn't that..?"

Mitsuru nodded.

"The only evokers engraved with 'S.E.E.S.' were the ones we used in high school. How someone in the cult managed to find this..." She sighed, placing it down again. "We're coming across far more questions than answers at this point. I'll have Arisato equipped with a new model."

She cleared her throat, then shot another pointed look at her friend. "That shouldn't be an inconvenience, since we're replacing one already. The Group will see if we can learn anything from the old evoker. Beyond that, do you have time for an interview today?"

"Uh, Mitsuru, is that going to take long? There's a lot to cover, and I have other work to do." Akihiko hesitated to ask, but she kind of understood why. The Kirijo Groups seemed... thorough. Who knew how much of their day would be spent there?

"You're right. Thank goodness, I just need Arisato," Mitsuru replied frankly. She smiled across the table at Akihiko. Somehow, it was worse than her earlier glare. "You have _far _too much on your plate to join us. During your off-hours today, I expect a full, written report regarding the events of last night. There will also be paperwork to fill out for your missing equipment."

Akihiko looked as though he might say something, but Mitsuru raised her voice slightly. She continued, and her tone laid things out plain: he had no choice in the matter.

"Bring those with along when I contact you later today. You'll be accompanying Arisato on her way home."

He stuttered, but nothing came out. If he'd completely lost the ability to argue at this point, she wouldn't blame him.

She and Mitsuru moved into a smaller room, and stayed there for several hours. A camera on the ceiling blinked its red light at them the whole while. Maybe she should have resisted a little more, but it was hard to see the point. After learning the basics about The Dark Hour and shadows, nothing was unbelievable anymore. If monsters existed, it made sense that the Kirijo Group existed. At least someone was taking countermeasures.

Mitsuru Kirijo was a natural leader, too. She understood why Akihiko respected her enough to stop talking every so often. As charismatic as she was, however, Minako still had her reservations. It would be nice to be sure that this was all trustworthy. It certainly _felt _like she was on the right side of this fight. But the only difference between the Kirijo Group and the cult was that she learned their names.

Both had followed her. Both wanted something from her, even if they weren't being forceful or demanding.

When Mitsuru flipped through a folder of papers, she caught a glimpse of one of the pages. Her high school picture was clipped to the edge.

No matter where she turned, people were digging into her life.

Mitsuru didn't look the least bit tired as she pulled out yet another folder of documents. They had picked apart every aspect of her life for the past few months, multiple times. Minako had been fighting the urge to yawn for almost an hour.

"Additionally, I heard that you're looking for someone who went missing."

A large, black and white photograph was placed in front of her. It was grainy, but unmistakable. It wasn't far from where the cult had cornered them.

"This girl is Saori Hasegawa, correct?"

Minako scanned the image. It showed a sparse group of cult members heading toward the bottom of the frame. Toward the spot where they found the graffiti.

It took several seconds of scanning before she realized one of the figures was pushing in the opposite direction. Looking over her shoulder, with dark circles under her eyes.

It was Saori, and she was scared.

Minako had dozens of questions, but mouth stayed closed.

"This is an image from a nearby security camera. If the timestamp is correct, it captured Miss Hasegawa seconds before midnight." Mitsuru didn't need to pause. She already knew what Minako was thinking. "As the cult cornered you, she was there. I believe she panicked upon realizing you were caught up in the confrontation. Your friend ran, rather than joining the attack."

Minako couldn't tear her eyes away from the image. Saori was always a little melancholy, but she hardly seemed like the same person. Somehow, knowing she was safe didn't bring any feelings of relief.

Mitsuru's phone vibrated, cutting the silence. She checked it, sighed, and stood up from her seat.

"That'll be all for now. Thank you for your cooperation, Arisato."

She picked the picture up and tucked it back into her folder, shaking Minako from her stupor. She looked at the other girl, jaw tight. Mitsuru ran a restless hand through her long hair. Finally, some exhaustion crept into her body language. She was human.

"Genuinely, thank you. We desperately needed new leads for this investigation, and your assistance will be invaluable." Minako didn't know what to say. She stood up as well, mouth dry. Mitsuru didn't wait for a reply. "In return, we'll do everything we can to help Saori Hasegawa. Akihiko was very clear that her safety was our first priority, going forward."

She swallowed thickly. A weird feeling was rising up in her stomach that she couldn't quite name.

"Thank you," she managed.

They moved back into the main part of the building. A rolling cart with a large, metal suitcase had been set up outside the elevators. Mitsuru grabbed it as they headed to the ground floor.

In a matter of seconds, they'd arrived at the exit. Akihiko was waiting there, holding his own stack of paperwork and frowning deeply.

"Mitsuru, do I seriously have to _pay _for the missing evoker? You didn't say anything about that earlier!"

This time, as Minako watched the old friends bicker, it looked different. What first felt like a mutually beneficial partnership was now turning complicated. Akihiko Sanada was bound and determined to protect people - strangers - in a way she found impossible to understand. Being a cop could explain it, but that alone didn't feel right.

The mere concept that this oblivious, easily wound-up man had any depth at all was dizzying.

"If you manage to recover your evoker, the Kirijo Group would be happy to return the amount paid. Until then, re-equipping you is a cost burden. That's how business works." Mitsuru held out the metal case flat, and opened it. The foam case had two evokers inside, and one dark leather holster, folded into a neat pile. "You should be grateful that we were able to prepare replacements on such short notice."

Akihiko muttered something between a complaint and thank you as they each took an evoker. Minako took in the shape of the shiny, polished metal. These had 'S.O.' engraved into the barrel.

Shadow Operatives, she guessed. Mitsuru mentioned it once or twice.

Not long after, they stepped outside and onto the sidewalk. The air smelled better than usual. The sun was starting to set, and heat was radiating off of the ground. Another picturesque summer day that she spent debriefing a near-perfect stranger on a shady cult.

"Congrats on surviving Mitsuru's interview."

She looked over, seeing Akihiko wearing his usual, optimistic half-smile. Despite his complaints, he seemed satisfied with the day's events.

"I don't have to see you again tomorrow, do I?" She asked. The storm of conflicting emotions in her chest made her want to pick on him. "I think I already regret agreeing to this..."

He gave a small, unconcerned shrug.

"Nah, you deserve a break at this point. You've dealt with a lot in the past day, but I knew you'd handle it well." He didn't take the bait. That was annoying on its own, but the compliments also didn't sit well with her. "And Mitsuru seems to think you're up to the task, too. She wouldn't have put so much effort in if she didn't trust you."

Minako passed the evoker from hand to hand, examining it once more. There was still something bothering her.

"That evoker belonged to someone from SEES, right?"

Akihiko barely paused to consider the question.

"That's what it seems like. Why?"

Irritation began pulsing through her veins again, louder and more demanding. The fact that he didn't see the problem was maddening.

"Then, if the cult knows about the Dark Hour, what if one of your old teammates is involved?" It was the simplest explanation, but neither him or Mitsuru had produced a single theory along those lines. "I'm saying that maybe you guys are bad judges of character."

For once, Akihiko looked as though he'd been knocked off kilter, but it passed quickly. He hummed while thinking, but ultimately shook his head.

"Nah, there's no way anyone from SEES is working with them. Trust me, it's not possible."

_Trust me._

Minako chewed the inside of her cheek, turning to face him fully. Her grip tightened around her evoker. Her finger brushed the trigger. It was all so foreign. Every single part of this.

Yet, here she was. With him.

"What makes you so sure?" His concerned frown only made her feel worse. She couldn't look at his face after that. "You didn't know anything about them before you met me. Now you're an expert on who definitely is and isn't in this cult?"

"Hey... Are you alright? What's wrong, Minako?" Even as she gazed past him, the unease in his voice was impossible to miss. She would have loved to tell him exactly what was wrong, but something else stopped her.

Without thinking, she took two quick steps toward him and wrapped her arms around his middle. Her cheek pressed against his chest, and they spun in a small half-circle.

"I... I missed you today! Please don't leave me alone for so long, okay?" Minako felt warmth flood her face, but she kept her eyes squeezed tight and waited. Akihiko had gone rigid in surprise, although he didn't move otherwise. She could hear a rapid heartbeat through his shirt. She made herself ignore it. Whatever. It would be over in a few seconds.

He didn't have time to respond, anyway. A scandalized gasp cut the tension.

"M-Minako! You're such a show-off!"

She pried herself off of Akihiko, turning to see a figure standing nearby. It was Rio.

Minako caught sight of her coming their way at the last possible second, and her body moved on its own. For some reason, the most recent cheesy romance movie she'd seen was the first thing that came to mind. Acting as a needy girlfriend made her wish she was dead, but it was better than Rio walking in on their argument.

Their evokers were out of view from the new angle. While she was still attached to him, she pried his out of his grip and shoved both into her tote bag. Not elegant, but at least it was covert.

"Oh, Rio! I-I'm so embarrassed!" At least that part was true. Minako giggled nervously, keeping an arm snug around her paralyzed partner. "I totally thought no one would see us! This is my... my boyfriend, remember?"

Akihiko started to talk, but she didn't want to hear a word out of him yet. She pinched his side hard, turning whatever he was planning on saying into a pained grunt. Looking 'fondly' in his direction, she allowed the lies to keep pouring out of her mouth.

"This is my friend from school, Rio! She doesn't gossip, so don't worry." Akihiko looked equally as scared of this situation as he was when the cult rushed them. She screamed at him with her eyes to start contributing to the cover story. "She won't tell anyone that I'm seeing you... A-Aki!"

He turned to look at the other girl with an almost robotic stiffness in his neck. He politely raised a hand in greeting.

"Nice to meet you..! I-I'm Akihiko Sanada. Minako's boyfriend, Akihiko Sanada!"

The shock passed over Rio's face and morphed into something bordering on smug self-satisfaction. She took a few more steps toward the couple, and bowed.

"It's nice to finally meet you! I'm Rio Iwasaki."

She treasured and loved Rio, but at that moment, she was glad to have such a gullible friend. For someone who went undercover, this guy was a terrible actor.

They rushed through a quick conversation about the date they were going on that night. Minako could swear she was going to be sick, but kept a smile plastered on her face the whole while.

Eventually, Rio relented and headed on her way. As soon as she was out of sight, Minako sped off in the opposite direction as fast as her feet would carry her. Every inch of her skin was on fire.

Unfortunately, Akihiko was jogging beside her not a moment later. She wondered if he'd ever taken a hint in his entire life.

"That was some quick thinking, Minako! I'm impressed." None of the embarrassment lingered in his body. She prayed that one day she could be so simple. "I never asked, what do you go to school for? It'd be a huge waste if you didn't think of going into law enforcement. Or, uh, even being a private investigator, if that's more your style!"

She stopped so abruptly that Akihiko got ahead of her by several feet before turning around. Her endless frustration was beginning to turn to numbness. It was impossible to hold onto one, solid emotion for long when she was so confused by everything single thing he did.

"...This is what I meant. You barely know me, but you keep saying that stuff!" She found herself suddenly and intensely empathizing with Mitsuru. This must be what that headache felt like. "Shouldn't you be suspicious of me? The way you were the night we met?"

This time, Akihiko didn't have a response ready. He frowned, but that was the emotional extent of his reaction. Her words still didn't seem to sink in the way she intended.

"Why should I be suspicious? I trust you, and that's enough for me." _Now _he was arguing with her. When she was actually trying to make a point.

"I'm telling you that doesn't make sense," she replied forcefully. "You trust me? Why?"

Akihiko seemed vaguely unsettled by the barrage of questions. He tilted his head to the side, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that had been holding the evoker. As if the emptiness was making it restless.

"Y-You seem like a good person, that's all."

Minako had no idea what to say to that. They stood in silence once more, and her mind took its time processing his reply.

As much as she didn't want to, she trusted him too. And for the exact same, naive reason. Directing her frustration outward was just a way to avoid those feelings. A convenient way to avoid putting any thought into _why _she felt the way she did.

If they met under different circumstances, she wondered, would she view him the same way? Would they have been friends? The reality that she might have misjudged him was tough to swallow.

Apologizing was out of the question, so instead, she went digging in her bag again.

"I forgot to tell Mitsuru about this, during the interview," she said. It was a lie, but this was now a 'better late than never' situation. She found a thick piece of paper, and held it out. "Whoever gave me the evoker also gave me this. I didn't know why, so I didn't tell you last night."

She let out a small cough. "Sorry."

Akihiko took the paper like the olive branch it was. Unfolding it to read, his brow soon furrowed.

"'I must meet the Messiah; my twin. Come see me on the next full moon.'"

By now, she had the two short sentences memorized. It didn't mean anything to her, yet somehow, it she viewed it as intimate correspondence. A voice in her head said that sharing it was the wrong thing to do, but Akihiko had won that fight. He was relentless, and she was starting to dislike the nagging, distrustful voice in the back of her mind anyway.

What she wasn't looking forward to was all the new questions. She didn't have any answers for him, and it was eating at her every day. Dealing with the cult was hard enough when they were just people who stared too much. Now everything had turned personal.

It felt less like dredging up old memories and more like exhuming a whole rotting corpse. There were a lot of things from the past few years that she didn't care to share _or _privately dwell on. She didn't like to be poked and prodded, but it was inevitable.

Mitsuru didn't have the whole story. She wouldn't be surprised if they pivoted backward and shut her back inside that interview room.

Akihiko held the note out, returning it to her. She dared to make eye contact, and he was smiling again. His eyes shone the same way they did the last time they uncovered a new clue.

"He wants to meet us. It would be rude not to show up, right?"

He slowly started guiding her back along their previous route. Kirijo Group building would soon disappear into the rest of the skyline.

He was back to walking her home as though they never stopped to argue, and she couldn't help but laugh.

Finally, some amount of relief spread through every inch of her body. It was like falling into the ocean on a hot day, surrendering to the tide. Accepting that the universe was talking her somewhere new, whether she wanted it to or not.

At least she wouldn't be alone.

"Yeah. I think we need to ask him a few questions. Do you know when the next full moon is?"


	5. Chapter 5

The prospect of going on a date at a time like this was... interesting.

Maybe it was only interesting because Akihiko knew it was fake. Like being in on a joke, only he was lying to no one in particular and everyone within sight all at once. The same as his usual undercover shtick, but with another person in tow.

Shirt? Fine.

Pants? Not terrible.

Shoes? They'll have to do.

If he frowned at his reflection any longer, he was going to be late.

But that didn't stop him from staring anyway. His patent leather shoes were scuffed in several places. They didn't seem date-worthy. Hopefully it didn't make a bad impression.

_The cult dipshits aren't gonna care how you're dressed, Aki. Get a move on, will ya? I can't take anymore preening._

He had a point. It was important to keep things in perspective.

Akihiko quickly learned that there was no point in checking the time over and over. The trains were packed with the evening crowds heading over to Paulownia Mall. After spending so many nights in sparsely populated mahjong clubs, it was a nice change of pace.

There were people of all ages out, and for a little bit, he let himself become absorbed in the novelty. They gave so much to save the city once. It all felt worth it to see how lively everyone looked now. Surviving the ordeal with Nyx seemed impossible, but they managed it. It was his pleasure to continue SEES' work through the Kirijo Group and police.

It felt like more people were meeting his eye than he was used to. The crowds hanging out near Escapade's entrance looked like they were having a good time, at least. He returned the friendly smile of a group of young women, then began scanning the crowded hall for his date. She was right where he expected, loitering outside Chagall Cafe.

Unfortunately, the moment they saw each other, he could tell she'd been waiting for a while. She didn't look as mad at him as usual, but she still didn't look thrilled.

Her typical guarded expression looked out of place, framed by her loose, long auburn hair. He got closer, noticing that she had on a pair of somewhat worn-looking sneakers. He felt silly for worrying about his own scuffed shoes. They were here for business, after all.

Akihiko was all set to tell her about his silly footwear anxiety, but she spoke before he could.

"I didn't realize you had something more important to do today than see me."

He was momentarily immobilized by the greeting. She caught him right as he'd begun to wave, forcing him to swallow his jaunty anecdote. Even all the research he did about things to talk about on a date felt useless against a start this awful. He came to a halt in front of her, an uncertain hand hovering between them, unable to speak.

Slowly but surely, Minako's stern express cracked into something playful. It was an immense relief to realize that she was only teasing him.

"It's a joke. Am I still _that _scary to you? Come on, don't look at me like that." She reached out, taking him by the wrist to lower his arm. "You dragged me into this, so be more confident."

Akihiko nodded. Getting told to buck up by someone younger than him was a little embarrassing, but he tried not to think about it.

"R-Right! Let's grab a table. I made you wait, so order whatever you want. It's on me."

_Famous last words. Hope you don't regret that later._

As if she could hear Shinji's warning, Minako's eyes lit up at his offer.

"What if whatever I want is a whole strawberry cake? A really big one?"

Akihiko swallowed nervously. It was starting to seem like Shinji had a better handle on this girl than he himself did. Still, he squared up his shoulders. Confident.

"...If that's what you want, a good boyfriend would buy it for you!"

To his surprise, Minako didn't rebuff him. She opened her mouth, then quickly closed it again, looking away. Even in the warm cafe's lighting, her cheeks looked flushed.

There was no time for him to comment on it. A waitress soon fetched them and led them to an empty table.

A busy place like this was as good as any other to waste time before their rendezvous with a cultist.

He continued his patrol of Port Island's streets since their conversation with Mitsuru. The symbols continued appearing, and they were getting easier to find. He didn't stick around to crash any meetings, but it still yielded decent information.

Spread out in the middle of the table was a paper map of Port Island. Akihiko leaned in and spoke in a low voice, catching Minako up on their plans for the night. He could just tell her what to do and expect her to follow, but that wasn't how a partnership worked.

Lucky for him, when she wasn't spitting venom, she was surprisingly easy to talk with.

"I went back and marked all the places the cult has put a symbol so far," he explained. His pen was poised over the paper, indicating those spots. "The ones we know of, at least. If you count the blocks on the city like on an x, y axis, there's a numbered pattern to them."

He heard Minako shuffle her chair closer to his. She tiled her head, studying his marked up paper.

"So, these are the symbols you either saw in person, or have other proof of." She reached a hand over, pointer finger ghosting across the different ink marks. "This is the one I showed you the night me and Rio went to the arcade?"

He nodded.

"Exactly. We can use the pattern between these known points..." Akihiko moved his own chair a little closer as he spoke. "To guess where the previous gatherings were. I was able to go back and find evidence of the paint in most of these cases, so the logic is sound."

A triumphant laugh practically jumped out of Minako's throat. Her finger found its placement, tapping a single point on the map.

"So, if you use that pattern in the opposite direction, _this _is where the symbols have been leading to! They planned to get to this exact location by tonight." She turned to look at him, lips pursing. "...Which means they probably expected us to figure this out. Should we be worried?"

Akihiko looked back at her, resting an arm on the table and rubbing his neck.

"I mean, _worried _is a strong word. We should always be careful, though. That's why we're going to show up before the Dark Hour. If things are looking shady, we can get away when people start to transmogrify."

_'Cuz it's not like anyone ever died during the Dark Hour. No one important, anyway._

He felt his jaw tighten, but opted to ignore Shinjiro once again.

"Any chance I'll need to fight again? I haven't exactly had any practice."

Her warm gaze held his in a way that made him uneasy. Even when she was in a good mood, Minako didn't pull any punches.

"We're gonna try and keep that from happening," he managed, jabbing a thumb toward his torso to demonstrate that he was wearing his shoulder holster. "Cultists or shadows, I'll keep you safe. Did you bring your evoker?"

Minako nodded, leaning back to look down at her lap. She looked like she was going to say something, but the words weren't quite coming out. When he glanced down as well, he realized why.

In all of their huddling, they ended up positioned well within each others' personal space. He felt the warmth of her leg against his, even through several layers of fabric. Despite knowing the polite thing would be to look away, something else caught his attention.

Through her skirt, he could see the outline of a holster strapped to her upper thigh.

Question answered.

He cleared his throat and tore his eyes away. Now seemed like the time to get reacquainted with his coffee. It was still hot, but he drank heavily and tried to put the sight out of his mind. This gave Minako plenty of time to put some space between them again.

"Do you think, um, the pattern is supposed to mean anything?" She pulled the map in front of her as she spoke up. Apparently they were moving on. "Assuming I was right about the first symbol being a mask, at least."

This time, it was Akihiko's turn to lean over. He made sure to keep a polite distance as he squinted at the paper. Creative-thinking like this wasn't exactly his strong suit.

"If it _is _supposed to be something, their style is a little too... abstract for me. I got nothing."

She peered even closer, her nails rhythmically tapping the tablecloth. He was starting to notice how mature her features became when she was absorbed in thought. It reminded him of the other members of SEES, in some ways. For most of them, trauma had fast-tracked them on the path to adulthood. It was unfair, but something they all had in common.

"Can I see your pen?"

Minako held out her hand without even looking back at him. He passed the pen without a fight. If she was onto something, it didn't seem smart to interrupt.

"The points create a round shape across the city, right? I wondered if there was maybe a spiral leading to the spot tonight, in the center... But they're too scattered in some spots and clustered in others for that to make sense. See what I mean?"

Akihiko blinked, as if clearing his eyes would suddenly improve his connect-the-dots skills.

"I think so, yeah. But, you're saying the spots are all connected to, or leading toward, tonight's?"

She nodded.

"It seems deliberate, at minimum. The pattern you used to count the other meeting places can't be used again from tonight's location. It's either final or symbolic or... I don't know." She frowned, and began connecting his markings. "Both? Either way, I have a weird feeling about it."

He let her work until she was satisfied, pushing her chair back a few inches as she observed her art.

All of the points on the map traveled inward toward the center. Moving along the streets of Port Island, they merged slowly into fewer and fewer lines. The branching paths didn't mean anything to him, but they sure as hell looked intentional.

"It looks kind of like a tree..." He offered, though that didn't sound quite right. "If it had more than one trunk, I guess."

She considered his input for several seconds. He considered throwing out more suggestions, but it wasn't necessary. A familiar jolt of inspiration seemed to pass through her body. Her palm collided against the table's surface in triumph, and a shine had returned to her eyes.

Something about her infectious excitement made his stomach do a small flip.

"Veins!" She was in such a hurry that the word came out a little too loud. They caught the attention of a few nearby patrons, so Minako took a breath before going on. Her hands were both clenched tight in her elation.

"_ Veins _, don't you think? But instead of a heart, they all lead to tonight's meeting place." She beamed, radiating a sense of well-earned satisfaction. "Like a... culty circulatory system!"

He had to return the smile. It was taking a lot to keep from laughing at her sudden enthusiasm. For someone that was so resistant to getting involved in this, she looked like she was enjoying herself.

He couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Sounds more likely than a mutant tree. If the pattern ends with tonight's location, maybe we'll start seeing arteries next."

Minako hummed thoughtfully, and for once, a comfortable silence settled between them. She didn't seem to know what to do now that they were finding common ground. Though, there was something disarming about the slant of her glossed lips.

He felt like he should say something else or he'd keep looking.

"So, uh... did you want to order a cake after all?"

_The day you master small talk, I swear the city'll throw a parade. I ain't holding my breath._

Letting out an easy laugh, Minako leaned back in her chair again. It could have been his imagination, but she almost looked bashful. As if she only then realized that she'd been enjoying their conversation.

"It's fine! I wasn't being serious about that, but it's nice of you to offer. In an insane way." She trailed off, as if weighing her next few words before speaking them. "I might have misjudged you. The cult stuff was getting under my skin when we met. It wasn't fair of me to treat you like one of them."

Another few silent moments passed, and he didn't know what to say. She coughed quietly.

"But, it was still stupid for you to run after a girl out by herself at night. I won't apologize because _you _made a bad first impression, okay?"

Akihiko bit back a chuckle. Of course her attitude wasn't going to change overnight. That suited him fine. He was starting to appreciate how straightforward and honest she was. It made her easy to be around.

"I'm willing to call us even," he said with a nod. "As long as you trust me, we'll find a way to make sure Saori is safe and the cult stops bothering you."

"Ha, I don't know why, but I think you really mean that." Minako turned her attention back to her coffee, sliding the saucer closer to her. "I sort of wish I had a reliable senpai like you in high school."

Though far from unwelcome, Akihiko was surprised at the change in topic. It was hard not to congratulate himself for reading her so well after only a handful of facetime. She was so normal deep down that it made him feel kind of guilty for interrupting her life.

"Yeah? You seem pretty reliable yourself. Going out of your way to protect your friends by chasing after a cult, all alone."

"Believe it or not, this is all pretty new for me," she said with a shrug. "I didn't have many friends growing up. Saori even graduated before me when we were going to the same high school, so my third year wasn't much fun."

Akihiko nodded along to her story, but stopped as something occurred to him. He remembered flipping through the files that the Kirijo Group had pulled.

Hasegawa was definitely a second-year at Gekkou. She spent some time studying abroad, and was older than most of her classmates as a result. If she transferred in 2009, Minako should have been a second-year too.

"...She's a senior at your university? But, you're not?"

Minako looked somewhat surprised. She stared straight into her cup, as if it desperately needed her attention. The whole reaction screamed, 'I said too much,' but she kept talking.

"Um, nope. I'm a junior. I missed some time in high school and wasn't able to catch up, so I re-did a whole year." She smiled again, hand giving a dismissive wave. "But, that's totally normal these days, right? Not everyone goes straight to college at 18."

That was unexpected. What kept her out of school that no one bothered mentioning in her school records? She was a little rough around the edges, but she didn't look at all like a stereotypical delinquent. He knew that type pretty well.

_I got a feeling that comment was aimed at me. I'll pretend I didn't hear it, asshole._

"If you don't mind me asking...?"

Minako stood up before he could finish, pushing her chair away from the table. If she did mind him asking, he wasn't going to find out until later.

"We need to go!"

She held out her phone. A cute, cartoon rabbit-themed UI showed that it was now past 11pm. If they were going to use the Dark Hour to their advantage, it was time to pay the bill and get a move on.

Thankfully, having Minako on hand continued paying off as the night went on. She was tuned into her phone in a way that Akihiko just couldn't keep up with. When there were train delays, she rerouted their trip at the last minute.

They had to hurry, but at least they wouldn't be late.

As they jogged the city blocks, he once again noticed that he was enjoying himself. Not that he didn't always put 100% into his work, but having someone else around made it different. In the bright light of the full moon, he wondered if they still looked like a couple on a date.

On a normal, everyday, midnight jog on the bad side of town. That kind of date.

"You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" He nearly missed it when she spoke up again. Minako threw him a sheepish sideways glance, as if the question came out on its own. "I don't think I've ever seen someone smile so much knowing they could be headed into danger."

Had he been smiling? Akihiko absentmindedly touched the corner of his mouth, as if it would reveal the answer.

"Me? Not as much as you might think." He focused on the sidewalk stretching out ahead of them. This time, he knew why he was smiling. "Both of us, though, I have a good feeling. It was like that with SEES, too. Together, we accomplished a whole hell of a lot."

"I've been a little bit curious about SEES, since I learned about it..." Minako hadn't been given the whole story yet, but a very brief summary of their encounter with Nyx. "With the Kirijo Group to back her up, Mitsuru-san seems like a natural leader. If she was half as scary in high school as she is now, I'd be too scared to talk back to her."

"She was definitely scarier in high school, but we go way back. SEES started with just the two of us in middle school, believe it or not."

Some genuine awe slipped onto Minako's face, and he understood her point of view. Yukari and Junpei had a rough time getting used to Mitsuru's business-like demeanor. Even if he didn't experience the same thing, he could sympathize.

Still, from middle school to graduation, Mitsuru had been a fantastic leader. To the second-years, it probably would have been easier to work with a leader their own age. The Student Council President had gained a reputation for being cold and distant. That had to be intimidating.

_...Dumbass. It's been years and you're _**_still _**_remembering it wrong._

Akihiko felt something icy and unnatural flood his chest. What was that supposed to mean?

_You'll figure it out eventually. For now, focus on staying alive._

He didn't have much of a choice. They were close to the meeting place and keeping an eye out for Minako was priority.

She was checking her phone again, ignorant of his brief argument with himself.

"We're running a little late..." She returned the phone to her pocket. They turned a poorly lit corner together, both slowing to a quick walk. He could hear some uneasiness slipping into her voice. "There's only about ten minutes until the Dark Hour."

That wasn't ideal, but he could manage. In a perfect scenario, he would have canvassed the area first and made sure it was clear. Hell, it might have made more sense to let Minako go in alone while he watched from cover.

In all honesty, he was glad to have an excuse to stay close to her. Their run-in with the cult during the last full moon had been on his mind. He was hardly the suspicious type, but maybe she was right to be worried. Leaving her to fend for herself did sit right with him, at least.

"We'll do whatever we can with our time, no pressure." He replied, holding an arm out as they made another turn. Minako reacted with an irritated (but quiet) huff as he guided her to stand behind him.

The cult symbol was exactly where he predicted. The white paint stood out starkly against the metal siding on the nearby warehouse.

Akihiko scanned the space. Nothing jumped out at him as suspicious, and he was about to say so. When he opened his mouth, however, Minako was already walking straight past him.

"That drawing still gives me the creeps..."

He sighed, deciding not to complain. She trusted him enough to watch her back, at least.

"You thought it was a mask. Any reason?"

She hummed and tilted her head.

"...That's weird. I _do _have a reason, but I only realized it now." Minako turned around, arms folded. "I think it's supposed to be a persona. I didn't have the right word to describe it until I learned about SEES and the Kirijo Group and everything."

Akihiko took his own careful look at the symbol. To be honest, he didn't need much convincing. After someone went out of their way to give Minako an evoker, it wasn't a stretch. For all intents and purposes, the cult gave her the power to summon a persona. Why, he still had no idea. At some point, maybe she _did _know what they wanted with her. Just not anymore.

He felt a pang of sympathy. Missing memories were a sore spot for him. That gnawing, scratching feeling from graduation day still haunted him sometimes.

"I should've brought my notebook..."

He reached into his pocket for his map, but paused as his fingers brushed the paper. All of the previous meeting places created large, sprawling branches across the city. Those 'veins' led back to this location and, in that moment, he knew why.

The abandoned warehouse on this narrow street stretched across the entire block. There were entrances on each end; one for employees and one for vehicles. If the locks on those doors were cut, dozens of people would be able to hide nearby. They would easily be able to block off any exit route.

The sound of footfalls on concrete met his ears. Akihiko grit his teeth, seeing a dense crowd slowly moving in from his right. A glance in the opposite direction confirmed his fears; they were already surrounded.

In their last few seconds of silence, he heard Minako's concerned voice.

"Not again..."

The cult members broke into a sprint. Their arms stretched out, ready to restrain the two of them as soon as they were close enough. Unfortunately for them, this time he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Minako, get out of here!"

Akihiko charged forward, knocking into the front of the group with his shoulder. Some of the young men and women stumbled and fell over each other. If he could create enough of a commotion for Minako to run away, that was a start.

Skinny fingers grabbed fistfuls of his clothing. He wrestled off as many as he could before it became overwhelming.

At least three people had taken hold of his arms, twisting them roughly behind his back. Another person kicked out his feet. His chest slammed into the ground at a bad angle, knocking the wind out of him. He was already trying to stand back up when a sharp voice cut through the brawl.

"Stay where you are. Both of you."

Before he knew it, Akihiko found himself face-to-face with the narrow barrel of a revolver. A dark-haired woman dressed in black held the gun with a disconcerting ease. No shaking, no fear. No sign of hesitation in her expression. Only fatigue and vague disgust.

He stopped struggling against the cult members holding him. They hauled him up and off to the side of the narrow circle that had formed.

As they moved, he briefly locked eyes with Minako. She was in almost exactly the same spot as she was the last time he looked. Whether it was due to fear or bravery, she clearly hadn't tried to escape. Her hands clasped together at her chest, defensive. She looked far more defiant than apologetic.

When he sucked his cheek, he tasted blood. This was fine. They just had to make it until midnight. Whatever the cult wanted, they could keep them talking. Minako didn't seem interested in leaving without some answers anyway.

"Do you see? Our brother has returned, as I promised."

The crowd on the far side of the group parted, giving way for a tall man to approach the center of the action. Slow, easy strides brought him into view. It was unnerving how much he stood out among the cult members.

Displaying a bare chest and arms covered in dark tattoos, he walked with very little haste. Between that and a long, matted braid of platinum hair, Akihiko could tell that public appearances were rare for this guy.

If someone that stood out _this _much had been lurking in alleys every night, he would have heard about it.

_Seriously, Aki? This isn't ringin' any bells?_

It wasn't. Or if it was, the memories were too fuzzy.

The man continued his approach. It wasn't until he came to a stop that Akihiko noticed he'd kept his eyes trained on Minako the whole while.

"You received my note. How nice to finally meet you in person." He gave her a leisurely, appraising once-over. "The pictures I was shown did not do you justice. You're even lovelier in person."

Akihiko swallowed heavily, and finally found his voice. He didn't know what was going on, but he sure as hell didn't like this guy talking to Minako like that.

"Back off," he demanded. His calm, even tone felt at odds with the way his blood was starting to boil. "We're not going anywhere, so keep your distance."

The man sighed, allowing a melancholy smile to spread across his gaunt face. Finally, he deigned to acknowledge that Akihiko was present as well. Even from a distance, his eyes looked cold and empty. At least he'd stopped advancing on Minako.

"_ You _were not invited, and yet you insist on interrupting. As usual, you Kirijo Group scum are a thorn in my side." He turned his attention back to Minako, a twisted sort of affection in his voice. "I forgive you. That's what family is for, right?"

If it was possible for skin to literally crawl, Minako could have managed it. She stood up a little straighter, letting her arms fall to her sides. He hoped she knew not to do anything rash.

"I don't _have _any family. Even if I did, you wouldn't be my first choice." She paused to steel herself, and faced the man as though he wasn't more than a foot taller than her. "I'm here because I want you to tell me why your friends keep following me, or to leave me alone already."

The man gave a short, humorless laugh. He gave a small nod to the dark-haired woman, and Akihiko felt the butt of the gun crash hard against his head. He staggered, vision clouding badly. A thin line of blood snaked down his face from his hairline. The scene before him rapidly went out of focus.

"If we're going to talk, we'll need some privacy."


	6. Chapter 6

Minako only took two steps toward Akihiko before coming to a halt. She'd never seen a gun in real life before, and now one was being pointed square at her chest. The woman was several yards away. She didn't look worried that she might miss.

The distant sounds of nightlife carried on the humid, late summer air. Almost everyone within earshot had been drinking for hours. They wouldn't notice a single gunshot. Not even a loud scream. If they did, she couldn't blame them for preferring to mind their own business.

The strange man's gaze was soon burning a hole in the back of her head. She turned to face him again. All she had to do was follow Akihiko's original plan, and they'd be fine.

"...This doesn't feel private to me. I'm supposed to talk with all your friends watching?"

He seemed unconcerned by the objection. Like he didn't quite understand what she meant by it.

"Friends? You're mistaken. The Lost are my flock." He spread out his arms, gesturing to the silent crowd. The stillness that had formed over them was eerie, to say the least. "And I am a humble priest. One of Nyx's many children, as you are."

That sounded like important information, but unfortunately, it didn't mean much to her. Anything to do with this Nyx-thing was Akihiko's territory. A single backward glance told her that he was clearly still out of it.

As usual, she was doing all the hard work.

"You're going to have to be less cryptic, or we'll be here all night." She slipped a hand into her pocket, making a point not to hide her phone from view. Her eyes fell onto the screen as she checked the time. "Will this take much longer? I have to be back in time for the last train."

They were a few minutes to midnight, but that wasn't the only reason she needed her phone. As subtly as she could, Minako opened her camera and starting recording a video.

She kept her phone in-hand, but refocused her attention on the man. It wasn't exactly a hidden tape recorder, but it was close enough. As long as it didn't look like she was going to call for help, it wasn't a particularly suspicious move.

"Back to where? You're already exactly where you belong, among your brothers and sisters." The priest walked in a small circle as he spoke. She had to turn her back to Akihiko and the woman to keep an eye on him. Somehow, he felt more dangerous than a revolver. "You're here because you have questions. Let me put your mind at ease."

The way he spoke was grating, but he wasn't wrong. If she wanted leads, there was no avoiding a dialog with this guy.

"...Why do you call them the Lost?"

Before he answered, a satisfied smile spread across his lips. Like a proud teacher when a student asked the right question in class.

"Many of them were all sold the same lie," he answered. "Told they had a fictitious ailment, when they were Nyx's chosen. Others answer her call for the first time."

A tight knot formed in the pit of her stomach.

"Some of these people recovered from Apathy Syndrome?"

As much as she didn't like his explanation, it made sense. The cult members following her always looked familiar, despite being strangers. The way they loitered around, wearing dirty clothes with deep bags under their eyes; it was the same.

"Recovered from what, exactly? In our eyes, we were denied paradise. Betrayed by others, who ignored the wish of humanity." His gaze moved past her, and any amount of forced tenderness he held for her melted away. "I regret that Kirijo's filthy police dog made contact with you before I did. He's helping her poison your mind."

Contempt saturated his expression, and Minako felt her heart pick up a beat. There was no telling what was on his mind, but she didn't want him focused on Akihiko. Not if she planned to get him out of there without any more injuries.

"So, you're saying you and the Kirijo Group had... ideological differences. Fine." Putting it so lightly left a bad taste in her mouth, but it sounded diplomatic. Diplomacy felt like an important part of any conversation involving a gun. "What does that have to with _me _? Either spit it out or leave me alone."

As much as she didn't want it, that was enough to regain his focus. He once again obliged her question while ignoring her tone.

"When our salvation was stolen, I assumed there would never be another chance. Death had taken two of mine, and two of theirs'." Asking for more details was starting to feel pointless. No matter how hard she tried to parse his statements, they meant nothing to her. "I was alone and distraught. I knew my twin would feel the same. Did you?"

Her fists balled up, tight enough that Minako's nails bit the skin of her palm. The hand holding her phone had to press against her side to keep from shaking. That word sounded dirty coming from his mouth. She didn't want him saying it to her.

"Stop calling me that."

Her voice was so strained that she didn't recognize it.

"When you rose again, as I did, it became clear. We've all been reborn and given a second chance." His voice was getting louder. "You and I are family. Destined to call Nyx back to this world, which she had abandoned."

Minako took another unconscious step backward, but nowhere felt safe. The crowd began cheering at the speech, as though it was a sermon they heard regularly. A story about some 'destiny' that a man she'd never met before had written about the two of them. A story she wanted no part in.

"Yeah, well, I'm telling you I'm not interested. Find someone else to play your stupid fantasy game."

The priest clearly wasn't listening. Or if he was, her responses weren't sinking in.

The shouting felt like it was vibrating against her skin. It dawned on her that the cult knew this confrontation would happen tonight. She was the only one that went in blind, armed with questions instead of a weapon. Getting answers was supposed to be the end of this. Not the start of something much worse.

His yellow-toothed smile became unsettlingly fixed on his face. What little light was left in his eyes vanished.

"I'm afraid your foolish human form has no choice in the matter," he said flatly. "This time, we will succeed."

Before she could argue again, a sound broke through the conversation. The city clocks were starting to chime.

"_ Finally..! _"

Without thinking, she turned to check on Akihiko as the cult got louder. It looked like the growing noise was enough to make him stir. He blinked slowly, head lifting to scan the crowd.

He was looking for something. Her?

The woman and other cult members restraining him paid no mind. Something else had gotten their attention, even as their numbers began transmogrifying. She didn't have time to wonder why.

"Jin, take care of her."

When Minako tried to look back, an arm was already snaking its way around her neck. She briefly saw the face of a tanned, light-haired man with empty eyes. Her hands snapped up to pry him off, but a small pocket knife in her periphery might as well have spoke before he did.

"Settle down, sister. This doesn't have to get ugly."

A lump in her throat kept her from responding, but she didn't need telling twice.

He pawed at her hand, wrenching her phone free and dropping it onto the ground. She heard the crunch of breaking plastic. The man had stepped on it.

Just a few more seconds. Soon they'd be trapped in coffins and she would be able to escape. That thought played on a loop in her mind as the priest advanced on her.

_Just __a few more seconds. __Just __a few more seconds._

Once close enough, he grasped Minako's upper arm, holding her in place between both men. He dipped down, free hand snaking beneath the fabric of her skirt. He persisted despite her frantic kicking, and once he stepped away, she saw what he'd been looking for.

Her evoker.

He lifted the gun, training his aim inches from her left eye. She froze again, unable to parse what was happening. Behind him, she could see the sickly green moonlight illuminating dozens of coffins. The clock wasn't ringing anymore. It was silent.

It was past midnight. Why were they still able to move around?

"Enough," he said calmly. "Show me my twin or get out of my sight."

Before Minako could even voice her confusion, there was a small explosion. A blinding blue light shot through her eye, crashing out of the back of her skull like a wave. The other man had let her go. She staggered backward a few more steps and stared, wide-eyed, at the form above her. The pain was subsiding. It gave way to a pulsing energy that stretched through her arms and into her fingertips.

She didn't remember having a persona like this.

Orpheus felt connected to her. An extension of herself that emerged out of a desire to protect Akihiko when he was unarmed. This was pure power. Something dark, inside her, that seemed to have a will of its own.

And there were so many coffins. They hung around the creature's neck like jewelry. All the movement made it look alive; solid enough to reach out and touch.

The priest laughed in some combination of delight and disbelief. He turned the evoker on himself and pulled the trigger.

A human-like figure appeared above them, huge wings spreading from its pale back. It looked familiar, and she had to blink a few times before realizing why.

The black wings were connected to its body by a large cluster of red veins, pulsing with life. Or the lack thereof.

Her stomach turned badly. For some reason, she now understood what he meant. _He _wasn't her twin. His persona was.

She couldn't look at it anymore. Minako grit her teeth, ignoring the hot, stray tears staining her face. This was all she could handle of her new, stupid life for one night.

Her persona trashed, wildly brandishing its sword, and a demanding voice echoed in her head. It told her to stay there, even though her body wanted to run. Resisting it made a splitting pain radiate through her head, but she held her ground. Her persona didn't make the choices. She did.

"_ Thanatos _."

Its mechanical jaw opened, letting out a piercing wail that made the ground shake. The man with the knife backed away several steps. The priest didn't even seem to notice the commotion happening around him. He was too caught up in his own ecstacy.

Minako turned sharply on her heel and took off toward the woman keeping hold of Akihiko. She barreled into them, leading with her shoulder. The woman let out a pained yelp as the three of them fell to the pavement. Minako threw her hands out, catching palmfuls of sharp rocks. She ignored the sting and got back to her feet.

A confused groan brought some good news to her ears; Akihiko was finally shaking off his stupor.

She grabbed his arm, hoisting him back onto his feet. The woman with the gun sat up from where she landed on the ground. She took aim and rested her thumb against the hammer.

"There's no need for that, my child."

The priest was now braced against the wall, not far from where the symbol was painted. Despite being sickly pale and sweaty, he looked happy. His partner reluctantly lowered the gun.

"You're letting them go?" She asked. It wasn't a challenge, but Minako had to wonder if that meant their plans had changed. She didn't want to stick around to find out.

"Our brother has been temporarily led astray by evil. It's our responsibility to wait until she is ready to impart her grace upon the Lost. To help her along that path, should she need guidance."

She knew they had to run, but her body was still refusing to fully cooperate. All she could do was help Akihiko regain his footing.

The tanned man gave a disinterested shrug. He scratched at his jawline, looking somewhere past the group.

"Our personas will be able to find her again, no matter how far they run." He replied simply. "Don't overthink it, Chidori."

The woman stood up, keeping an eye on the pair as she stepped back to join her comrades. Her severe gaze was unsettling, but it was better than a gun. By then, she'd lowered the revolver to her side.

The priest continued to catch his breath, contented smile returning to his face. He held up the evoker, waving it slowly back and forth with a hoarse chuckle.

"I'll hold onto this, brother. Tell Kirijo to give back the one she stole from you. We went through such pains to recover it, after all."

A dozen more questions rose up in her throat. Why was it so difficult to run away when she knew that staying was dangerous? He was teasing her with answers on purpose. Appealing to the part of her that connected them.

Akihiko gave her shoulder a sharp pull, snapping her attention back to him. He looked alert, despite the injury.

"We need to go. Now."

He kept a tight hold on her wrist as they wove through the maze of coffins, and Minako didn't bother looking back. Apparently they weren't going to be followed, and that was fine by her. They moved in silence, as fast as they could. It was several blocks until she and Akihiko turned back onto a main street.

Their meeting had gone completely wrong in less than a half-hour. So wrong, that not being shot was starting to feel like a huge accomplishment. She didn't know how they managed it, besides dumb luck.

"Are you hurt?"

Akihko spoke up once they put enough distance between themselves and the cult. She wanted to push him over and leave him on the sidewalk, but resisted the urge.

"'Am I hurt'? You're the one with a bleeding head wound," she replied with a huff. It was tempting to stop the conversation there, but he deserved a serious answer. Getting knocked out wasn't his fault. "I'm fine, but if we run into anything nasty, I'll have to borrow your evoker."

"Sounds fair to me. Where are we headed?"

That was a good question.

"...I have an idea, but we have to keep moving while it's still the Dark Hour." Minako shot him a sideways glance, trying to gauge how steady he was. "So keep up, okay?"

"I won't slow you down. Just don't ask me for a backup plan. I'm not in much of a state to contribute any brain power."

She scoffed, keeping tabs on the buildings they'd be passing by in the next few minutes. It looked miles away, but the light of the full moon helped her find what she was looking for. A hotel.

"When are you ever?"

They staggered up the empty stairwell together. Akihiko was doing well, but she was now pulling him along more than supporting him. It felt cruel to tell him to hurry up again, so keeping him close was her only option.

The third floor hallway was mercifully empty and the pitch blackness was a welcome sight. As she'd hoped, the room locks all seemed to stop working during the Dark Hour.

She grabbed the handle on the closest door. A relieved sigh escaped her throat when it turned and clicked. When it pushed open, she heard Akihiko let out a tired chuckle.

"You're resourceful, aren't you?"

She swallowed.

"Get in before the power comes back on. We're cutting it close."

Once they were both inside, Minako closed the door and manually locked it. Not the most ironclad defense, but it would help avoid any more unwanted surprises. Her heart couldn't take any more shock tonight.

Akihiko flopped into an armchair at the side of the room. He lifted a hand and gingerly touched the place where he'd been struck on the head.

"You better not have a concussion," she told him.

To her surprise, he looked amused by her comment.

"No concussion," he assured her. "I've been boxing for nearly a decade. I know the difference between feeling lightheaded and a serious injury."

She couldn't bring herself to match his level of confidence. After several more seconds of silence, Minako thought of something useful to do. She stepped into the bathroom, running a hand towel under the cold tap. He took it when offered and began wiping down his bloodied face.

"It's fine if you don't want to do this anymore. If I knew things were going to be that serious, I never would have had you come with me."

For some reason, _that _struck her as funny. If he went alone, a knock on the head would have been the least of his worries.

"Good thing it's not your decision. You're not going to ask what happened while you were out?"

"I figured we'd get to it when you were ready." He paused. "I'm glad you're still on board, though. I needed you there tonight."

Minako wondered if she was feeling their difference in age or experience. He wasn't _that _much older than her, so maybe his time with SEES did make him stronger. There was something he had that she didn't.

The blood he'd been trying to wipe away still streaked across his face like warpaint, despite his best efforts.

"You're so... annoying." That wasn't the word she wanted to use, but it came out anyway. "You're also bad at that. Hold still."

She took the towel from his hand and bent down, carefully cleaning his face. He didn't argue with her about any of it. For some reason, she kept finding herself wishing that he would.

"They want something with me because of my persona," she said, finally breaking the silence. "You're probably sick of hearing it by now, but I have no idea what it is or why. That guy who called himself a priest wasn't making sense, but he doesn't like you and Mitsuru-san. That much was clear."

"Nah, I believe you. Something was starting to bother me, and I finally realized what it is back there." He tried to keep still while talking, but it wasn't helping much. She'd be doing this for a while. "I'm missing some of my memories from high school, and I think Mitsuru is too. There are gaps that don't make sense."

Like clockwork, she already regretted starting this conversation. Akihiko took her silence as an invitation to continue.

"It's complicated, but this happened to the members of SEES before, on a larger scale. After defeating Nyx, we all forgot almost everything about each other." He frowned, as if trying to find the words to sum up a very long story. "I'm pretty confident that we remembered _most _of it after a while, but parts must still be missing. Some things are too important to forget."

Minako wasn't sure what to say to that. There were a dozen things she _could _have said, but none of them wanted to come out. After the kind of night she had, it was starting to get on her nerves. Why was it so hard to be honest?

"Memories don't stick around because they're important," she told him. "You can _think _you're missing memories all you want. That doesn't mean they exist, or that you'd even want them back if they do."

He didn't seem convinced.

"My best friend was killed because of me," he pushed back, voice still calm and even. Why did he only ever argue when she wasn't trying to make him? "He'd left SEES after an accident, and I convinced him to come back."

That reminded her. Was that what the priest meant when he said death had taken people from both sides? His people, and ones involved with SEES?

"It wasn't the first time someone died because I wasn't strong enough."

She wanted to tell him to stop talking. It wasn't fair for him to say those things when she couldn't do him the same courtesy. To put himself down like he was stating a simple fact, while she pretended to be guiltless. She tried to finish cleaning up his face.

"Sorry to hear that."

"Thanks, but I wasn't looking for condolences. My point is, I can't remember how he died. It's not something I would forget, unless I had no choice. That's why I know you're not lying. We've both been playing a game with missing pieces. Of course it would be confusing."

The hand holding the towel stopped moving, the unlit room quiet once more. As she wracked her mind for a way to respond, a mechanical hum rang through the space. The lights flickered on. She didn't realize how close their faces were until his grey eyes came fully into view.

In an instant, she lost her nerve. She stood up straight and turned away, tossing the bloodied towel onto the bedside table. If her hands didn't find something new to do fast, they'd never stop trembling.

"Of course I'm not lying," she snapped, though it was half-hearted at best. Her hands coasted along the fabric of her skirt, and finally she found something to do. The empty holster on her leg was useless to them now. "You didn't have a good reason to trust me until tonight, and you _still _walked straight into the cult's trap. If I was secretly one of them, you could have died."

Minako pulled up the hem of her skirt as she spoke, just far enough to reach the buckles. She vaguely heard Akihiko mutter an apology and say he wasn't looking, but ignored him. It wasn't a scandalous amount of skin, and scolding him for peeping was the last thing on her mind.

"You've gotten me out of a tight spot twice now. That means I was right about you this whole time, so I'm pretty happy."

She was getting annoyed with him again, but for once, it wasn't entirely his fault. Minako skinned her hands when she tackled the woman with the gun. They were throbbing painfully, making it difficult to take off her holster. She wasn't making any progress with the second buckle; it was too tight. She cursed quietly in frustration.

It must have been enough to grab Akihiko's attention again. When she looked up, he was standing next to her and wearing a sympathetic expression.

"Need help with that?"

As much as she wanted to say no, the piercing pain in her fingers was only getting worse. Struggling with it any longer would be embarrassing.

"I guess so."

She sat down on the edge of the hotel bed, once again maneuvering her skirt out of the way. Akihiko kneeled down in front of her, and she spread her legs slightly. She wondered if it was presumptuous to tell him that she was still wearing shorts under the skirt. There wasn't much to see from that angle, even if he looked.

His fingers brushed the inside of her thigh as he began undoing the buckle. A distracting shiver shot up her spine that made her sit a little straighter. Say something, say something.

There was still a deep red gash above his forehead. The sight made her insides twist unpleasantly.

"Make sure you clean that cut as soon as possible," she told him. It came out pushier than intended, but it was genuine. As embarrassing as it was to realize, she was worried about him. "I mean, it looks like it hurts a lot. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I've had much worse. What about you?"

Minako frowned.

"I already told you, I'm fine. My hands will heal in no time."

"Being hit on the head didn't make me blind." Something that felt like his knuckle sank into her skin for a split second. Finally, she felt the straps of her holster fall loose. Akihiko looked up at her from his spot on the floor. "I've never seen anyone who's 'fine' shaking so much. What's wrong?"

He was hilarious. What _wasn't _?

After laying out his own past failures to her, Minako wished she could summon that kind of courage. His ability to remain patient and kind when she kept trying to push him away was driving her crazy. That fact that he wasn't doing it on purpose made it worse.

But, strangely, she liked being close to him. If keeping people at a distance for so many years had made her touch-starved, he could have been a feast. His hand was resting on the bed, still so close to her, and he wanted to talk.

Like he didn't even realize that there was something much easier than talking that they could do.

She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and pulled him upward until their lips met. The way his body went stiff when caught off guard was becoming familiar to her. Akihiko had to steady himself in the new position, one hand finding purchase just above her knee.

The demanding, recent memory of how his fingers felt pressed against her skin came rushing to the front of her mind. She fumbled for his wrist, guiding him back to the marks left on the inside of her thigh from the holster. His breath caught against her mouth. They broke away enough to lock eyes, and finally, it looked like he might be done talking. He carefully laid her down, positioning himself over her while her legs hung off the edge of the mattress. His knee had come to rest between her knees. He was warm.

For several long seconds, the only thing Minako could hear was her heart beating in her ears. Akihiko cupped her face with both hands, leaning in to mercifully resume their hasty kiss.

He was right; she was shaking. Adrenaline was pushing through her veins like hot fire. Anything that didn't make her think about herself was the best feeling in the world. _He _was the best feeling in the world, for now.

Anchoring her hands on each of his shoulders, they felt perfectly locked in place. Even when they paused for breath, his mouth stayed poised over her own. Their 'date' at Chagall seemed like it happened days ago, but he tasted good. Mostly like coffee, but a little like blood too.

Her teeth gently caught his bottom lip, and he let out a quiet, pained grunt. The taste of more blood came, and she wondered how bad the inside of his mouth was cut.

She thought of the way he had run straight toward the cult, barreling into the crowd. How stupid he was for thinking that she'd run and leave him there by himself. The bruises that would paint his torso from top to bottom the next day. Would she get to see them?

After a few short minutes tangled together, however, Akihiko pulled back. A serious look of conflict passed over his flushed face. Minako was left looking up at him, feeling colder than before. She waited, hoping that he would stop thinking and start kissing her again.

It didn't happen.

She sat up and eased him off of the bed, tugging her skirt back into place with a resigned sigh. He was standing, a considerate distance once again between them. If he kept looking at her like that, she would start feeling bad.

"...Minako?"

She wiped her wet mouth with the back of her hand, looking off to the side of the small room. The concern in his voice made her chest ache. So annoying.

"You're right," she admitted. "I'm missing parts of my memory and I think it has something to do with the cult."

Akihiko waited several seconds, then sat down next to her on the bed, allowing his shoulder to touch hers. It was a nice gesture. Not too much.

"What makes you think that?"

She couldn't quite say, and 'I just know' wasn't going to cut it. Especially after she more or less admitted to not being sure she'd even want missing memories back.

"That priest told me most of the cult is made up of the Lost. People who used to have Apathy Syndrome, and are angry that they were cured."

Her mouth closed, and it almost felt like it wasn't going to open again. Akihiko waited, as if knowing there was more. She took a long, slow breath.

"People like me."

Whatever face he was making, she made a point not to look. Even the smallest chance that any pity would make its way into his expression made her miserable to consider.

"That's why you left school for a while." When he eventually spoke up, he didn't sound surprised. She nodded.

"It was only a few months, but I can't remember any of it. I didn't have family or friends that knew me before then, so it feels like I... didn't exist for a while."

"Are you upset that you were cured?"

Minako didn't understand what he meant, at first. It was a jarring enough question that she met his eye, brow furrowed.

"No. I don't want to be like that ever again. If that's what the cult wants, I'll do anything to stop them."

Akihiko let her words hang in the air. The bold declaration felt more emotional than she expected. As if she didn't know she felt that way until he coaxed the words out. He looked tired, but happy with her conclusion.

"Glad to hear it." When he stood up, she realized their tough conversation was already over. Suddenly, the fatigue from the night's events was setting in. "We should get some rest. You can have the bed if I can borrow some sheets and a pillow."

Minako got up as well, wordlessly helping him strip off a few pieces of bedding. Her body was moving on autopilot. She wasn't used to feeling kind-of-okay after being honest with someone. It was weird, but didn't hate it.

There was only one more thing she wanted to say.

She looked across the bed at Akihiko, who was already laying out sheets on the floor. He was putting too much thought into it; there was no way it would be comfortable.

"I should apologize," she began, unsure how to phrase herself. He'd put up with a lot of drama in one night. "Kissing you, out of nowhere... I shouldn't have done that. Sorry."

Akihiko turned his attention away from the makeshift bed, wearing a puzzled half-frown.

"You don't really need to be sorry." He took off his outer layer and shoulder holster, placing them both on the armchair. "I mean, you weren't the only one, uh... pursuing things. Don't worry about it, okay?"

As if it were that easy. Did 'don't worry about it' mean that he got caught up in the same impulse she had? Or that he might have kissed her first if she waited long enough? It was hard to tell which option felt worse. For someone so infuriatingly simple, Akihiko was still impossible for her to understand.

"...Okay."

The lights went out, and she curled up in bed. Her eyes stayed fixed on the nearby alarm clock as she tried to imagine that she was by herself. Every time she blinked, another several minutes went by without sleep.

By 2:00am, Minako wondered if she didn't actually want to be alone.

She sat up and peeked down at the floor. Akihiko was sleeping peacefully despite his sad excuse for a bed. Laid on his side, there were a few inches of floor between him and the bed frame.

Sliding herself into that small space felt like it took forever, but Minako found his warmth again. She rested her forehead gently against the back of his neck and let her eyes close. It didn't matter how uncomfortable it felt to sleep on the floor; the sound of his steady breathing did the trick. Within minutes, the world began to fall away around her.

She'd saved him two times. If he didn't owe her a cake before, he did now. That was a nice thought to fall asleep to.


	7. Chapter 7

It was several days before Mitsuru could find room in her schedule for another meeting. Akihiko used almost every hour in between trying to figure out the best way to explain what happened.

It was long enough that the weather was finally starting to cool down. The endless summer was coming to a close, with autumn on its tail. Port Island could get unseasonably cold fast, with how close it was to water.

At least, this time, he and Minako were in the same boat. He remembered how much she seemed to enjoy watching him get reprimanded last time. It would be nice to avoid getting singled out again. Especially since this entire investigation hadn't exactly comprised of his best moments.

Mitsuru let them speak uninterrupted. Like usual, the air in her personal office felt heavier than it did everywhere else. Akihiko helped fill in details where he could, but Minako did the majority of the talking. He was pretty familiar with the full sequence of events by now.

They already filled out a request to have the Kirijo Group replace her phone. That detail still pissed him off a little bit. Minako's memory was good, but having the whole conversation on tape would have made things easier.

She remembered what direction each person came from, once they were cornered. The two men had been right-handed, and the woman left-handed. Together, they estimated that around 30 people had shown up. Only those main three were persona-users. The details got vague once they made their escape, and beyond that, Minako kept things brief.

The more she repeated herself, the more he wondered if Mitsuru would notice how much it was taking out of her. After what felt like hours, the discussion finally came to an end.

"I can't say I'm thrilled with how your last encounter with the cult went," Mitsuru told them. She slumped back somewhat in the large leather chair behind her desk. "But, I'm grateful that you're both safe. That's the most important thing."

He heard a small, indifferent sniffle somewhere to his left.

"I wish I could have done more, but everything I've seen or heard up to now is in the report you asked for."

There was a pause, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Minako bow her head in apology. "I'm sorry for keeping things out when we first spoke. I'll try harder to cooperate from now on."

He'd helped Minako write the report, and she was clear about her intentions this time. If she had to pick sides, she wasn't interested in siding with the cult. That meant fully committing to helping the Kirijo Group. It was a big deal.

"We're asking a lot of you," the redhead replied. "It's only natural that working together would take some effort on both sides. I'm more than satisfied that you're willing to stay on with us."

Even if they were still withholding a few things, she _was _telling the truth about the important parts. And her willingness to open up to more people felt like a step in the right direction, for sure.

Besides, Minako looked so damn tired after everything that happened. There were dark circles forming under her eyes. Every few minutes, she'd yawn again. Since she was having a hard time, the least he could do was back her up.

Even the toughest fighters needed people in their corner.

"Not bad for a new persona-user, right?" He offered, running a restless hand through his hair. The quicker they could wrap things up and go, the better. "I think that about covers it all. Anything else?"

Mitsuru's entire body seemed to slump a little more, as if weighed down by the mere reminder that he was there too.

"Akihiko. I don't need to explain your missteps in this situation, do I?"

He tried to hold her gaze, but it proved too difficult. There was no point in arguing.

"You don't."

_What's the matter, Aki? I was looking forward to hearing your piss poor excuses again._

"Do better next time, or I can no longer allow Arisato to accompany you. It's your responsibility to keep her safe, not the other way around."

A sigh pushed out from between his clenched teeth. Harsh, but nothing he hadn't already told himself. Pulling the band-aid off was still the best way forward, even if it hurt.

His fingertips rapped rhythmically against his knee.

"...Understood. I won't let either of you down again."

"I'm counting on you. In the meantime, I'll have a team look into what you said about our memories of Nyx." As usual, Mitsuru was straight back to business. She fished a tidy-looking notebook from beneath the papers on her desk. It was already packed with notes, and she began adding yet another. "Based on what that 'priest' said, I have no doubt that something will turn up. If he truly has a history with us, I'll find out."

Akihiko felt himself frown. The 'stop everything to research' part of the job was his least favorite. He didn't have that kind of patience.

"Can't we just ask Aigis? It should be impossible to mess with her memories, right?"

Mitsuru frowned right back.

"Theoretically, yes. But, Aigis has been out on Shadow Operatives business for more than a month now, so all we have is her backup. It'll take some time, considering we don't know what we're looking for yet. I'll keep both of you up to date."

She reached out to a small, circular device on her desk and pressed a button on it.

"Ikehara?"

There was a short pause, then a response. Akihiko was surprised to find he recognized the voice from somewhere.

"Yes, President?"

"Please come see me in twenty minutes. We've received a substantial amount of information on our cult case. I'll need assistance filling the physical and digital copies of the report."

"Twenty minutes, then. I'll request the complete file now and have it ready for you, President."

"Thank you, Ikehara."

As Mitsuru turned her attention back to the scattered documents, Akihiko finally realized what he'd heard. He leaned forward, placing a hand on her desk.

"Was that... Hiyori-san? She's back in the country?"

Mitsuru barely glanced up, but cleared her throat.

"That's right. I'm taking my own advice, and trying to rely on others a little more." She shot a glance over at Minako, arms folding brusquely. That was her default once she started feeling fidgety.

"Pardon me. Hiyori Ikehara's family has worked with the Kirijo Group for three generations. When I took over the company, she was functionally my sole support while I found my footing. I'll introduce you next time."

Minako gave a short nod, but didn't say or do much otherwise that he noticed. It would be nice to see Hiyori again. He couldn't remember how long it'd been.

Shuffling the paperwork into a neat pile, Mitsuru's entire frame seemed to relax as she exhaled.

"As skeptical as I was at first, I admit you've both made great progress. I don't know what you did to get Akihiko working so hard, but please keep it up."

It was all he could do to crack an awkward smile and sit back again. This would be so much easier if she didn't say stuff like that, and he kept expecting her to circle back to the hotel when she did. As far as Mitsuru knew, they made it to the room, discussed her conversation with the priest, then went to sleep.

No touching or kissing. No mention of Minako's Apathy Syndrome. No acknowledgement that they woke up in much closer proximity than they fell asleep in.

_You know you _**_should_ **_tell her. But you won't, right?_

When he glanced over, he caught Minako's anxious gaze as it lingered on him. She quickly looked away again, still clearly distracted by something.

"I-I will. I already told him that I'm fine to go over things again soon, just in case anything new comes up."

"The effort is much appreciated. Don't let up on him if he isn't pulling his weight, Arisato."

Like before, he wondered how they looked from the outside. When they pretended to be a couple, was anyone convinced? Did Mitsuru see their recent awkwardness as a professional improvement?

Every once in a while, the memory of how Minako looked laid out on the hotel bed came to him again. The way her slender hands grabbed and guided different parts of him. Her hair splayed out over the white sheets like a bouquet of crimson flowers and ribbons.

Between his wandering thoughts and their new concerns, things weren't getting easier. They were fighting less often, but their conversations also didn't feel casual anymore. He wanted to respect her space.

Keeping an emotional distance was partly for his own sake, too.

Akihiko chewed the inside of his cheek. He had a lot of thinking to do before he could express his thoughts, anyway. He wasn't great at... this kind of thing. He didn't even know what to call it.

**_Or_ **_you're afraid she's not interested anymore and don't wanna find out. Coward._

He couldn't help but wince. That one was cruel.

"There's one other thing, Mitsuru-san..." Minako wrung her hands as she spoke, and Akihiko felt his shoulders stiffen in apprehension. There was? What else could there possibly be?

"This morning, Saori called me," she explained. "It was a short conversation. She said she wanted to see me today, if possible. I think she stopped meeting with the other cult members."

"...She called?" He repeated, dumbfounded.

That was news to him, but hardly unwelcome information. Mitsuru's eyes widened slightly. She nodded.

"I'm relieved to hear that. You're going to meet her in person?"

"Yeah. Would it be okay if I brought Akihiko with me?" She looked over at him once again while she spoke. He couldn't quite tell what she was thinking. "It's not that I don't trust her, but she might be able to tell us more about that priest. Having both of us there makes more sense to me."

"I agree. Very well, Akihiko will accompany you to visit Hasegawa, then escort you home." Mitsuru stood up, now wearing a smile that somehow looked intensely authoritarian. It was chilling.

"You don't have plans for the remainder of the day, correct? Thank you in advance for your cooperation."

He sighed. If they bothered to ask him, he would have said yes.

Saori's apartment wasn't far from Iwatodai Station, making it quick and easy to get there. Minako didn't talk much on the trip over, despite his attempts to get a conversation going.

He couldn't blame her. Seeing her friend again under these circumstances was bound to be nerve-wracking. It was hard not to wish that she'd give him something to work with, though.

He preferred when she said what was on her mind.

They climbed a set of stairs to reach the apartment. Minako looked at the numbers outside the door, and hesitated.

"...Do you need a minute?" He asked, trying to subtly lean over to get a better view of her face, to gauge of her state of mind. It was hard to see anything past the fatigue.

She abruptly pressed the doorbell before going back to gripping the hem of her light jacket.

"I'm fine. We're already late."

The door opened a few inches, and he saw a well-rested Saori Hasegawa through the gap. The girl's face lit up as her eyes landed on Minako, but quickly changed as they moved over to him.

He cleared his throat.

"S-Saori, right? Sorry to show up uninvited, my name is Akihiko Sanada. I'm Minako's boyfriend."

Minako moved in front of him, stepping deliberately on his toes in the process. He bit back a pained grunt. Perfect. What did he do wrong this time?

"He's with the police, Saori," she explained. "I think I got caught up in this stuff because those cult people recognized him when we were out on a date. Sorry, I wanted to explain it in-person."

The other girl seemed to process that information for several seconds. Finally, she opened the door and stepped outside to join them.

He didn't know much about fashion, but Saori was dressed nicely. She had on a few modest pieces of jewelry and a silky-looking scarf. More importantly, she had a piece of rolling luggage at her side.

"Minako-chan... Thank you for coming to see me," she said, smiling gratefully. "I'm so relieved to hear that you're alright. I wish we had more time to catch up."

"_You _were worried about _me _? Saori, you're unbelievable." Minako let out a short laugh, but it sounded genuine. Her eyes lingered on her friend's bag. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going to visit my family for a while. It was surprising, but... they were pretty upset that I wasn't in touch for so long."

Having family to worry about you was a positive thing. Akihiko was sure about that, at least.

"Well, at least they noticed something was wrong..." Minako looked like she wanted to say more, but ultimately decided against it. "But, that's good. I mean, it's a good reason to stay away from those meetings and stuff from now on, right?"

Saori wearily glanced down at her feet.

"It is. It was the only thing that makes me different from them. I realized after leaving that most of the Lost don't have anyone who misses them, you know?"

He tried not to think about how Minako felt, hearing that. Having friends was just as good as family, but she was struggling with both of those things since recovering from her Apathy Syndrome. That was a kind of loneliness that he simply couldn't comprehend.

"I think that's the only reason they didn't stop me from going home. So, I have you and Sanada-san to thank for that."

Akihiko almost thought he misheard, but no. Somehow, he needed a reminder that they accomplished something big. His goal was to get at the cult by helping someone, and Saori was home. It didn't mean less if he didn't get to do the work personally.

No one was obligated to thank him, but that didn't stop him from feeling good about it. He needed a second to recover from the little bit of pride swelling in his chest.

_Do you seriously think you have time to pat yourself on the back? Stay focused._

"I-It's nothing. More importantly, uh..." He reached into his pocket and grabbed a card, offering it to Saori. His information through the police station was printed on it. "I don't want to hold you up, but I'd appreciate it if we could talk sometime. You're right about the Lost not having support, and I'd like to be the one to help them."

Saori took the card, paused, then gave several frantic bows.

"Ah... I apologize for not being more help! If I knew the police were involved, I would have invited Minako-chan over earlier."

"If there's anything you can tell us, um..." Minako paused, trying not to get ahead of herself. "Anything you can tell _him_, I mean, about who that priest or the two people working under him are, that would be a great start."

Saori didn't seem bothered by the small slip-up

"Do you mean Jin and Chidori?" She tilted her head and squinted, as though shuffling through her memories. "As far as I could tell, they're the only ones with any idea of who the priest is. And I'm pretty sure those aren't their real names. Does that help?"

Now, that could be something. Maybe this trip would get them a little bonus beyond the closure.

"It helps a lot," he told her. "Is there anything else you remember about them?"

"I'm not sure... Chidori wasn't around very often, and really only showed up at nighttime. Jin used to make her angry on purpose by asking what she was up to all day." Saori checked her wristwatch as she spoke. Whatever time it was, she looked worried.

"Oh, no... I'm so sorry, but I need to go soon or I'll miss my train." Before they could respond, however, she let out a soft gasp. "Wait, there was one other thing! I can't believe I almost forgot..."

Saori bent to unzip the front pocket of her bag and reached inside. Once straightened up, she held out a piece of paper. For something so innocuous, the sight made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"I saw the priest a day or two ago, by coincidence," she explained. "I thought he was going to be mad at me for leaving, but all he did was ask me to hold onto this. Minako-chan, I think... I'm supposed to give it to you? I figured it would be better not to read it, so I'm not sure what it is..."

That was unsettling, to say the least. As important as it was to get more clues, the odds of it being anything good were low. Akihiko shot Minako a sideways glance, but she paid him no mind.

"...For me? I wonder why." Minako did her best to look puzzled. She paused, then took the note and slipped it into her coat pocket.

"I wasn't sure if I would even tell you about it, but it's okay, right?" Saori's worried gaze moved to Akihiko, then back to her friend. "I mean, your boyfriend is a policeman..."

_Ah, now I get it. People are just a means to an end for those bastards. Mark my words, the only reason they let this girl go home was so she could deliver a message to their little messiah._

Akihiko felt his jaw muscles tense up, but tried not to dwell on it. Minako kept the conversation moving on her own, thankfully.

"It'll be fine, Saori. But please be careful about who you talk to from now on, okay? Try not to go out alone, either."

"Plus, we don't want them to think you're using Minako to contact the police," Akihiko continued. The Kirijo Group had been clear that protecting Saori even afterfinding her was vital. "Once you're back in the city, let me know if it feels like you're being watched, or followed, or anything like that. We'll find a way to make sure you're safe."

The girl's smile grew slightly. As cautious as she still looked, it was a relief to see this side of her in person. That small amount of time away from the cult's influence was working wonders.

"Thank you, Sanada-san. I think going back to my normal life will be a start." She took a step closer, then leaned down to grasp Minako's hands. "Knowing you cared enough to check on me, and that even my family cared... It's a wonderful feeling. I won't take it for granted."

Minako returned the smile, and finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Once things calm down, we'll do something fun. Before the end of the year, for sure."

"Don't be so dramatic." Saori laughed, pulling the other girl into a sudden, affectionate hug. "I'll see you at school, right?"

Minako looked flustered, but gradually returned the embrace.

"Y-You're right... But, take care of yourself in the meantime."

Saori had to run to catch her train, so they reluctantly parted ways on the sidewalk. As soon as she was out of sight, Akihiko pulled his notebook from his pocket and jotted down what they learned.

It didn't look like a huge break yet, but it was something to go off of. Mitsuru would be happy with that.

"You're a magnet for clues, aren't you?" He asked, scanning his notes one last time before looking up. "About that paper..."

But, Minako had set off without him, and was walking with some determination back toward the heart of the city. He jogged for several seconds to catch up with her.

"H-Hey, slow down. I'm supposed to take you home, remember?"

She kept ahead of him, the cool breeze bringing some color back to her cheeks. It almost looked like she wasn't listening, but she came to an abrupt halt and turned around. Even drained of energy, she was trying to smile normally.

"It's still early. Why don't you take me on another date?"

He should have expected that. The way her eyes flashed before she teased him was a big tell. She didn't even try to hide it.

"I mean, sure, but..."

She moved in, seizing his arm and pulling him along beside her. Iwatodai Strip Mall came into view, and the smell of greasy meats of all kind drifted over them soon after. No wonder she got the idea.

"And I'm not trying to get you to treat me again, if you were wondering." She urged him a little closer, hugging his arm to her chest. He tried to ignore how hot it made his face feel. Did he bring this on himself, by telling Saori they were dating?

"The cult is probably still watching us, so I'd rather not lead them straight back to my apartment. If they're going to stalk me, they'll have to watch me eat ten takoyaki skewers first. If we're lucky, it might bore them to death."

She had a point, though he wished they could do something more meaningful than waste time. Anything was better than leaving her alone, he supposed.

"Takoyaki isn't a meal," he managed to argue. "Will you at least compromise for Wakatsu? If it'll get you to eat a few vegetables, I'll pay."

"Fine, you win! I know better than to turn down free food."

The matter was settled shockingly fast. As nice as it would be to have a meal with less cult discussion, Akihiko couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

For no obvious reason, Minako was more talkative and upbeat than ever. That wasn't a bad thing, but it wasn't like her to get hung up on frivolous topics when they still had work to do. From the time they started toward the restaurant until their food came, she only took a break to yawn once in a while.

He didn't like interrupting, but those pauses were his only chance to get a word in, and it wasn't going great. Even when he managed to ask a question, she would pivot the conversation elsewhere. They were already talking about something else before he even realized it happened.

It wasn't going to help either of them, at this rate. He'd have to try again.

"Thanks for bringing me along to meet Saori, by the way. We got some helpful information, even if the conversation was short."

Minako busied herself with the last few rolls of sushi they ordered and shrugged.

"I guess so. Hey, have you been to the sweets shop?"

He frowned. That was an aggressive way to change the subject, even for her.

"No, I haven't. You'll have to take me sometime." While she was still eating, he took the chance to push harder. "The thing is, we might learn more if we read the message she gave you."

She took a long sip of miso soup, eyeing him over the small bowl. It was several seconds before she responded.

"You used to be easier to distract. Am I losing my touch?"

Reclining back in his seat, Akihiko crossed his arms. She _was _doing it on purpose. He should have known.

"Maybe. When something is bothering you, you're actually pretty bad at hiding it."

She rolled her eyes, but reached into her pocket to retrieve the note. The old-looking paper was folded into a dense square. True to Saori's word, it didn't look like it was handled much after being written.

She placed it on the table, keeping a finger balanced on the corner. As if worried he'd try and grab for it if she let go completely.

"...What if he wants to meet me again?"

It was a reasonable fear to have after last time. He couldn't blame her, but they also couldn't ignore it.

"We won't know until you open it. That's why you're not reading this one by yourself."

Minako couldn't find a retort to that, even if the lull in conversation made it obvious that she was trying. Looking disappointed, she gave up.

"Okay, fine."

She took a breath before carefully unfolding the paper. He saw a flash of familiar, upside-down handwriting in dark ink, but that was it. He let Minako read in silence.

It wasn't long before visible irritation pulled at nearly every muscle in her face. For a second, he thought she might rip the paper in half.

"What does it say?"

Minako let out a sharp groan, simply passing the note over to him and returning to her tray of food. When her elbows hit the table, the exhaustion in her body language began flooding out once more. There was nothing left to hold it back.

"You can keep it," she told him flatly. "They don't even make sense, and I'm _still _getting sick of this guy. Doesn't he have anyone else to write stupid love letters to?"

He didn't like hearing it called a 'love letter', but kept that to himself. Turning the note over, he wasn't sure what to expect. Regardless, it somehow completely met those nonexistent expectations.

**Blood is blood is blood is blood and our blood runs through this city.**

**Come back to us soon.**

He didn't really want to keep it, either. Maybe he could pass it off to the Kirijo Group for filing or something. Regardless, he had some things on his mind.

"...Can I ask you a question?"

Minako rested her chin on her hand, pushing around a few stray clumps of wasabi with her chopsticks. She didn't look up at him.

"I guess so," she replied. "Unless you think it'll make my mood even worse."

"How are you feeling?"

_Yeah, now's a great time to stick your nose in her business. Right after she got another fucked up message from a sweaty, shirtless maniac._

She placed her utensils down on the table, taking yet another long pause to yawn. This time, he got the feeling that she was stalling to think of an answer.

"Does it matter? I'm trying to focus on helping people like Saori, for now. That's the whole point of what we're doing."

"You were easier to talk to when you just refused to answer my questions outright. Fine, I'll be more specific." He didn't want to pry, but it was true. Minako was still struggling to be open, despite all their progress. "You look ready to drop. Have you slept at all since meeting that priest?"

At first, she didn't say anything. Her eyes lingered somewhere outside the window before snapping back to meet his gaze. Paired with a sweet smile, even a fake one, it was almost lethal.

"...You know the answer to that."

Akihiko felt a persistent fluttering in his chest. She was needling him again, trying to see what would get him to give up. Ironically, he was already dealing with plenty of intrusive thoughts about her. A few more wouldn't make a difference.

"I meant after we left the hotel," he pushed back.

"Then you should have said what you meant."

He opened his mouth to reply, but Minako stood up from the table before he could say anything else.

"Seeya!"

She gave a small wave before heading out of the restaurant, leaving him to scramble for his wallet. He tossed enough bills to cover their meal on the table, and hurried after her.

By the time he made it down the strip mall stairs, he thought he might have lost her. Instinct kicked in, though, and he looked further down the street.

Minako was outside Octopia. By the time he caught up, she was already setting off again with a paper cup in hand. Steam rose off the skewers of takoyaki when she pulled one out to blow on it.

"Do you need to give me such a hard time?" He asked. "I'm only trying to help."

He would have said more, but the smell of bonito flakes and mayonnaise overwhelmed him. She stuck the skewer inches from his face, grinning slyly.

"I think they're still too hot, but I want one. Test it for me?"

She was changing the subject again, but didn't seem to mind him sticking around. That was enough for the time being. He took hold of her offered hand to steady it, sliding an entire piece of takoyaki into his mouth. That was a mistake.

A cough rattled his chest, and hot air pushed past his lips. It felt like breathing fire.

"Too bad," Minako pouted, putting the remaining takoyaki back into the cup. "I'll let them cool down a little longer. Let's find somewhere to sit."

The strip mall wasn't very crowded, so they had their pick of empty benches. She took hold of his sleeve, pulling him along until finally picking a spot. He thought the conversation might pick up again once they sat, but it didn't it.

"You don't want to talk, but you don't want me to go away." He tried again, though she was still unusually focused on her food. "What should I be doing, then?"

"I shouldn't have told you to be more confident. You're even nosier now."

"Fine, then I'll let you finish your food and then get you home." It was the best and only compromise he could come up with. If she wasn't feeling well, forcing her to admit it wouldn't help. "No more questions."

"You're so..." She trailed off, letting out a defeated huff. Maybe it was his imagination, but he hoped it was a sign that he was getting through to her. "I don't know, but it makes me want to push you off this bench into the dirt."

_...Or not. I'm legitimately impressed with how badly you keep managing to read this girl._

Minako cleared her throat, an apologetic look briefly flashing across her face. She seemed to regret her harsh wording.

"I mean, watching someone eat is weird. That's all."

As tiring as she was to keep up with, Akihiko couldn't help but enjoy the little breakthroughs whenever they happened.

"Hey, if you come up with a topic you don't hate, I'd prefer to talk."

"Fine, let me think." Minako stubbornly shut her eyes, as though putting serious thought into what they could discuss. "And don't interrupt me or I won't come up with anything good."

He laughed, but kept quiet as requested.

Sitting there in silence wasn't so bad, either. When she couldn't see him looking, though, Akihiko became intensely aware of how much he was staring. He couldn't help it; she still looked nice while deep in thought.

This was a perfect opportunity to take in the little bit of nature the city had to offer. He usually didn't care for autumn, but the colors were striking. They were something else to look at, at least.

The silence felt like it dragged on for a few minutes before there was movement beside him again. Body heat pressed flush against his side, and for a split second, he thought Minako was making good on her threat to shove him. When he looked over, he was met with a face-full of auburn hair.

It took some time to process, but he realized that she'd fallen dead asleep. Tipped over, her cheek rested comfortably against his chest.

His hands hovered in midair for several seconds, uncertain. This was an unexpected situation to find himself in, but it might have been the best possible outcome. If she was finally getting some rest, that was worth getting trapped in ones top for a a while.

Carefully wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he tried to ease her into a more comfortable position. Cradled against him, he was able to sneak another long look at her face. (He didn't know why it felt like sneaking, but it definitely did.)

Lips parted and relaxed. Long dark eyelashes that fluttered every once in a while.

When he woke up at the hotel, he noticed those details for the first time. Her features seemed determined to stay optimistic for someone shouldering so many burdens. While asleep, she didn't frown and worry so much. She got to be someone normal and hopefully have some good dreams. It didn't seem fair that he couldn't make her problems go away by kissing her again. As much as he wanted to try.

It was strange. In the past several days, their relationship felt infinitely more intimate, as well as distant. He still had no idea how to untangle the knot of emotions caught in his chest. But she was warm and welcoming, and he didn't want to lose that.

What he wanted didn't matter, though. For now, she needed to sleep.


End file.
